The Past and Passing
by charmedkat48
Summary: CharmedXHP. Sequel to A Charmed Time. The Charmed Ones are all grown up and have left the wizarding world behind. But when Prue receives a mysterious letter, they must return before something terrible happens.
1. Here I Stand Alone

A/N: Here's the follow up to A Charmed Time. Enjoy and please review.

**Prue **

Tap… Tap… Tap… The sound of something tapping against the glass of my bedroom window was the first thing to greet me as I woke up. Having gone to bed in the wee hours, I was loath to get up. Tap… Tap… Groaning, I sat up and opened my eyes. I was rather taken aback by what I saw.

An owl was perched on my windowsill. I jumped up and threw open the window. The owl flew in, hooting loudly. Attached to its leg was a letter. I stared at it unbelievingly. Impatient with me, the owl nipped at my finger. I came to my senses and took the letter. The owl hooted and flew out the window.

I unrolled the letter and murmured the words that were written on the paper. "Prue, you have been absent from the wizarding world for too long. It is time for you and your sisters return to the world in which you truly belong. Your world needs your help. Come back to it while it still exists." I stared at the letter for a long time. Who wanted us to rejoin the wizarding world?

Perhaps my sisters would have some insight on the matter. I slipped on a robe over my nightgown and descended the stairs.

"She lives," Phoebe said cheerfully.

My sisters were in the kitchen. Over the years, they had changed so much—both physically and mentally. Phoebe had grown up a lot. During her last year at Hogwarts, she started to excel in her studies. She had done exceptionally well on her N.E.W.T.s. She would have made an amazing auror. Too bad she gave up on it.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Paige said.

Paige had gotten by in Hogwarts well enough. After school, she decided that she couldn't handle magic twenty-four/seven, so she got a job involving muggles. That was the job that made her happiest. Phoebe, as I had gotten from a few thoughts, felt rather guilty about taking that away from her. She had gotten used to the muggle world, though, and didn't want to change again.

"Breakfast is ready," Piper announced and served it.

Piper had been Head Girl, which was no surprise. She only surprised us when she turned Lucius's gang into hats on the last day. Dumbledore found it quite funny, as did almost everyone else in the school. Her life as a muggle was unhappy, though. After Leo became an Elder, she had had a lot of difficulties. It seemed that she threw herself into dating just to get over the pain.

"I got a letter," I said.

"Hmm. Very interesting, Prue."

"By owl."

Phoebe dropped her fork. Piper stopped what she was doing and looked up at me. Paige had a look of avid interest on her face.

"Owl," Piper repeated slowly.

I nodded. "It wasn't signed, but the person wants us to return to the world of magic."

Piper laughed in a nervous way. "We can't do that," she said, almost desperately.

I slammed my fist down on the table, making everyone jump. "Sixteen years, Piper. For sixteen years, you and Phoebe have kept your secrets from us. I've resisted reading your minds, but enough is enough." I concentrated.

"Don't you dare," Phoebe said.

"Would you rather just tell me?"

"You know," Piper said, sounding more casual than she had before, "the morning was going rather well. Can't we just ignore this…"

"No, Piper, I won't ignore it," I responded. "I'm sure Paige wants to know as much as I do."

I knew that Paige did, but she looked down and bit her lip. "Prue, if they don't want to tell us…" She didn't bother to finish her sentence. Perhaps she didn't know how to end it.

I ignored her and stepped into Piper's thoughts.

_It hurts to think of it, but she does have a point. Sixteen years is a long time. _

I pushed a little deeper.

_They probably know the reason why, but they don't know exactly what happened. _

"So tell us what happened," I said, taking care to sound gentle.

Piper turned away, absentmindedly fiddling with various objects.

"What happened to her is the same thing that happened to me," Phoebe told me. "Remus broke up with her and Sirius broke up with me." She stopped and looked away. "It wouldn't have been so bad if he hadn't said what he said."

"What did he say?" I pressed.

_How could he have found someone better? Why did he have to tell me that? Why couldn't he have just broken it off? _

"Oh, Phoebe, I'm so sorry," I said and touched her arm.

She gasped and went rigid. A moment later, she relaxed and opened her eyes.

"What did you see?"

"It happened so fast," she said. "I think the four of us were fighting someone. I don't know who it was."

"Well, we do fight tons of demons all the time," Paige said.

I shook my head. "I don't think that was it. The letter and the vision happening on the same day—it can't be a coincidence." I paused to take a deep breath. "I know it hurts you two, but we have to return to the wizarding world."

They were silent for a long time. Then Phoebe spoke.

"She's right. We have to return."

"Can't we…" Piper faltered. "Can't we do a spell first? One that will tell us what happened?"

I thought about that for a moment. "Fine. I know one that will work, but the potion that goes with it needs time to brew."

"I'll make it," Paige volunteered.

I nodded shortly. "It's marked in the Book. It should be easy to find, but I'll be in my room if you need me." I got up.

"We're starting this now?" Phoebe asked uneasily.

"No time like the present," said Paige.

Paige went up to the attic and I went back upstairs to my room. I went into my closet immediately and got out a large box. From this box I produced a photo album, a few letters, my wand, and a small notebook. The first thing I looked at closely was the photo album. It was fairly old. The cover was worn and ragged in many places. When I opened it, the first picture to greet me was of my parents. They waved at me from the photo. The next one was of Grams. She was smiling and waving. The third photograph was of Piper. The following one showed Phoebe. She was staying so still that at first it seemed like a muggle photo. But soon her serious stature dissolved and she broke out in a wide grin.

Each picture conjured a new memory. The one that affected me the most, however, was the one of James and Lily's wedding. I studied it carefully. My sisters and I were there, smiling and waving furiously. That had been the last time I had seen James and Lily. I only saw Sirius, Remus, and Peter a few times after. What had happened to them? What had happened in the world? I sighed. "Hopefully, I'll soon know."

Most of the letters didn't hold much importance. Only one of them held great importance. It was a letter that I had gotten shortly after our return to the muggle world. It, like the letter I had received that morning, had also come by owl. I never told my sisters about it. "Prue," the letter began, "you know that you have many duties to fulfill as a Charmed One. You and your sisters will play a significant part in the battle against Voldemort. You must accept that. The Charmed Ones must be at the final battle." I had ignored the letter. Now, with the addition of the new content, I knew that we had to get back to the magical world as soon as possible.

The notebook was completely blank. That was easy enough to change. I tapped the page three times and whispered, "to the Charmed sisters, the greatest gift given to men." Loopy writing began to fill the page.

_This notebook will hold the thoughts of the teenage Charmed Ones for all eternity. The information contained here will only be accessible by Prue Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Phoebe Halliwell, and Paige Matthews. The first entry will be created by the one who thought of this book. Enjoy! _

I smiled. Phoebe had written the introduction. The notebook had been Piper's idea.

_Whilst we were sitting around the summer following Prue's graduation from Hogwarts, I came up with the idea of a notebook that would allow us to, in a way, stay eternally youthful. Although we will age, we'll always have this book to remind us of the past. Phoebe has encouraged me to first write of my true love. That man is Remus Lupin. He is the most wonderful man I have ever met. I know that I will never stop loving him. Phoebe has decided that we have to write a short biography. Well… What can I say about myself? I'm a sixteen-year-old (August 1st I'll be seventeen!) witch. I can stop time (very useful, I must say), become invisible, and blow things up. I am, on the whole, a good girl. However, since becoming a Charmed One, I have unleashed my "bad" side more. That's all I can think of right now. _

_Paige Matthews here. I wanted to be last in the notebook, but my sisters insisted on me being next. Phoebe is looking over my shoulder, so I should probably get to my description. I am fifteen years old and I'm half witch, half whitelighter. I can orb, erase memories, and heal. Leo says that it's more than healing, though. He calls it "the angel touch". I just call it useful. I really don't have much to say… However, my sisters are insisting that I write more. Hmm…I've been orbing over every other day, and frankly_ _it's getting tiring. Unfortunately, demons never take a day off. Of course, Grams never does either. She's always having us practice our magic, as is Leo. We only get a break when Piper freezes them or when I, er "accidentally" erase their thoughts of having us train. Charmed style magic can be quite fun, though, when we're doing it on our own. Two last thoughts: I can't wait until the new year at Hogwarts and I hope I never see another demon ever again. _

_Greetings one and all! The one and only Phoebe speaking. I know that I hardly need an introduction, but for the sake of being humble, I will write a small introduction. I turned sixteen quite recently (driving at last!). Say, that reminds me of a funny story. Grams took me out driving yesterday. Prue and Piper were in the back. Piper screamed the whole way. She really overreacted. I missed that car by miles! She may have had a point when I did back up into a tree. But she stopped it, so it all worked out. Anyways, I am precognitive, empathic, and I can levitate. OMG—hilarious story to relate. Paige was looking into the mirror, pointing out various things wrong with her face, when Piper suddenly appeared out of nowhere (she had been practicing; at least that's what she claims). Paige was so surprised, she erased her own memory! Luckily for her, it was only her minute mind erase. He he he… Well, Paige is going to read this and will kill me, so I'd better sign off. _

_Prudence Halliwell writing. I'm seventeen years old. I am a Charmed witch. I am telepathic, I can astral project, and I'm telekinetic. The telepathy is almost always the bane of my existence. I find it rather difficult to be around boys... Their thoughts are rather disturbing. I have learned things about them that I wish I hadn't learned. I continue to try to block my so-called gift, but it seems that my efforts are futile. I'm going out into the world now. It's a BIG world. Wow. I've been invited to join the Ministry of Magic. That means that I'll have to move to England permanently. While my sisters are still at school, they'll keep living with Grams. Afterwards, they'll probably move to England too. Until then, though, I'll be all alone. I'll be able to apparate at any time, but it won't be the same. That's my main worry at this moment, and that's all I have to say. _

I smiled even more at these entries. That summer had undoubtedly been my favorite summer. I ached for the simplicity of it. Life was so complicated now.

Suddenly I heard approaching footsteps. I threw the objects haphazardly into the box and placed the box back in my closet. The footsteps stopped at my door, but there was no knock. Slowly, the person turned away and walked back down the hall.

I listened carefully for the person's returning footsteps. When none came, I retrieved my wand. It seemed that it was time for it to come out again.

* * *

**Piper **

_Why?_ I asked myself. _Why does it hurt? It was so long ago. I got over it._ I sat on the couch, staring into space. Wyatt was peacefully napping. _Remus, I loved you so much. Why did you leave me? Why does everyone I love leave me?_ Was that why it hurt so much. "I've been grieving almost all my life." It was a sad realization.

And yet there was still joy hidden between the trying times. _Joy,_ I thought, _like Wyatt._ A swell of warmth mixed with the sadness in my heart. It was an odd feeling. It was the same feeling I got whenever I thought of Remus. Grimly, I remembered the long ago day when our paths had separated.

_Flashback _

_I gazed at the engagement ring, a smile plastered on my face. I hadn't yet told my sisters of my engagement to Remus. I was looking for just the right moment to reveal the good news. "I'm getting married" I squealed happily. I was sitting in the living room of our apartment, unable to sleep. It was late, but I was wide-awake. _

_A knock sounded at the door. I ran over and opened the door. "Remus! What are you doing here so late?" I kissed him tenderly, but he barely responded. "What's up, sweetie?" I asked, concerned._

_"Piper, we need to talk." _

_"Oh, sure." We sat down on the couch. "What is it?" _

_"I know this will be hard for you to hear, but I have to say this." _

_My heart began to beat faster. What did he mean? Why wouldn't he look at me? _

_"I think we're not really working out," Remus deadpanned. "I don't want to get married." _

_The weight of his words hit me. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came. _

_"I'm sorry." Again, there was no feeling in his voice. These were just words—to him. They had no meaning—to him. But they meant so much to me._

_"You're sorry? You just broke my heart!" I yelled. "Did this all mean nothing to you? Am_ _I nothing to you?" I broke off and sobbed. _

_"I just can't do this anymore." _

_I only cried more. "Please... Don't do this." _

_"It's over." He got up and went over to the door. _

_I wrenched the ring off my finger. "Here!" I screamed and threw it at him. "Take it! Just take it." _

_End flashback _

And so my perfect love story had ended. At least with Leo, I had actually gotten married and had had Wyatt.

"Piper," Paige asked as she walked in.

"Yes?"

"I just... I just kind of want to know what happened. If you don't want to tell me, I'll understand."

"No, it's okay." I took a deep breath. "Remus and I were engaged. He broke it off."

"You were engaged?" she said incredulously.

"Yes. The whole thing with Leo," I sighed, "brought it all back."

She didn't seem to know what to say to that.

"You know, deep down I'm curious about what happened to all of them."

"Me too," she said quietly.

Wyatt stirred and I went over to him. "We should get our wands out again."

"Really?" Her eyes had lit up.

"Yes. It's time."

Phoebe walked in. "Hey, how—" She gasped and fell to the ground. Her face contorted with pain as she curled up, taking in raspy breaths. Her body tensed as each wave of pain hit her.

"Phoebe! What's wrong? Oh God, what's wrong?" I knelt down next to her. "Paige, heal her."

Paige's face was screwed up in concentration. "I can't. She won't heal."

Phoebe began to relax. Her eyes opened.

"Pheebs, are you all right?"

She stood up, leaning on me for support. "I'm fine. But someone isn't. It felt like… Like someone dying. It wasn't a normal death, though. It felt like a spell."

"Avada Kedavra?"

She nodded. "We need to do that spell."

* * *

A few days later, we gathered in the attic.

"This spell will tell us of what has happened. We'll only see it; we won't be a part of it," Prue said as she lit the candles.

Paige gave us each a vial. "Drink this."

We all did. The liquid was freezing cold.

"_The past has come back to haunt me, so give me sight and let me see exactly what has been and what will be,_" we chanted together.

A white light appeared and filled the room. It swirled around us, blinding us. It ended as suddenly as it had started.

"Did it work?" Phoebe asked.

"Doesn't seem like it," Prue said. She shook her head. "This is really weird. I know this spell. It should have worked."

"Oh well," I said.

"Um, it did work," Paige said, pointing behind us.

We all turned.

"Who are you?" a teen boy asked sharply. His wand was pointed at us.

We looked at each other. "Hmm."


	2. News To Me

**Phoebe **

The boy appeared to be around sixteen years old. He had black hair, green eyes, and a lightning bolt shaped scar. I felt a nagging sense of familiarity as I studied him.

"Who are you?" the boy demanded.

"My name is Prue Halliwell. These are my sisters, Paige, Phoebe, and Piper. We seem to have summoned you here accidentally," Prue explained.

"My God," I breathed. "He looks just like James."

"Lily's eyes, though," Piper murmured.

"You are their son, correct?" Paige asked.

The boy hadn't relaxed. He was still on guard. "You don't know who I am?" He spoke it more as a statement, but there was still an edge of surprise in his voice.

"Sorry," Prue said. "We've been in the muggle world for the last sixteen years. We're completely clueless. And we're not going to harm you. You can lower your wand."

He looked each of us over, then he slowly lowered his wand.

"Might we hear your name?" I asked.

"I'm Harry Potter."

I smiled. "I remember Lily saying that she liked that name."

Prue looked into Harry's eyes in an odd way. Her eyes widened. She had obviously read his mind.

"What is it?" Paige asked.

Prue had begun to shake slightly, and she breathed through her mouth. Tears were now forming in her eyes. "They're dead," she whispered. A tear freed itself from her eye and slid down her cheek.

Dead? Lily and James dead? How could this be? Their faces flashed across my mind. It couldn't be… Not Lily… Not James…

Suddenly I was hit bluntly by waves of pain. I could see them dying. Then I saw different scenes in which Harry fought Voldemort. The last scene was possibly the most painful of all. Sirius was dueling with a woman. He was struck down...

"Phoebe." Someone shook me out of my vision. The room slowly slid back into focus. I looked at Harry. I was afraid to ask, but I had to know. "Is Sirius…" I cut off when I felt the pain from him. No, no, no. Sirius was dead... James and Lily were dead…

My breath came out in short gasps. I closed my eyes. My head felt light, as if I was about to pass out.

"Pheebs, we need to keep calm."

Paige's voice was very far away. I felt myself nod. "Yes. I'm fine," came my voice. I had to get control of myself. I couldn't lose my grip now. I forced myself back into the world and beat back the pain. I would not cry now.

We were down in the living room. I couldn't remember getting there. Harry, I noticed, seemed more relaxed. He kept stealing glances of me for some reason. From what I felt from him, he recognized me somehow.

"So those are our powers," Prue was saying. "Paige will be able to orb you home. Whom do you live with"

"My Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia."

"Well, we—"

Chris and Leo orbed in.

"Ah, just the ones we needed. We have to orb to England for a little while. Can you watch Wyatt?" Piper asked.

"Back up," Leo said. "Why do you have to go to England?"

"We summoned Harry Potter here, so we have to bring him back," Prue said evenly. "We have business there anyways, so we might have to be there for a while."

"You can't go back to the wizarding world," Chris said quickly.

We had all grown considerably closer to Chris following his encounter with Bianca. He turned out to be quite likeable. Of course, he couldn't reveal too much about himself, but he did change his attitude. I was rather surprised by this burst of mysteriousness.

"We have to."

Chris was obviously fighting an urge to tell us something. "Fine. Just be careful."

"Aren't we always?" Paige said as we grasped hands.

Leo only looked at us.

"What?" Piper questioned.

"Aren't you going to take your wands?"

Prue waved her hand and our wands came zooming down to us. "There. Let' go."

I didn't feel at all like going anywhere. I felt more like crawling in a hole. The full realization of Sirius's death had still not reached me. I was floating somewhere between denial and realization. It was a happy medium, but it would mean even more pain when the denial came crashing down.

Paige orbed us. We landed in a perfectly maintained home.

"AHHHHH! Bloody abnormal folk!" a purple-faced man yelled.

Prue wrinkled her nose. "Is this your uncle?"

He nodded.

"Sir, please calm down," Paige said.

"I won't have this kind of thing in my house! What if the neighbors saw?"

"Get out!" a horrible woman, who I recognized as Petunia, screamed shrilly.

Prue hesitated before she raised her wand and said, "_Silencio_."

They were robbed of their voices. Vernon began to pitch various things at us. Prue diverted their path and Piper blew up the others. The two seemed to be afraid of their powers and stopped.

"We are all going to sit down, and we will explain. If you don't want to listen, then we will be forced to use our powers. Do you understand?" Paige continued.

They nodded numbly.

"We accidentally summoned your nephew to our residence. It was completely unintentional, and we apologize for any worry his disappearance may have caused you."

Harry snorted.

"Wait a minute. Petunia Evans? Is it really you? I haven't seen you in years. I believe the last time I saw you was when I was over at the Evans house. You rather didn't like me, did you?" I said with a slight smirk.

She glared at me reproachfully.

"As I recall, I levitated you to the ceiling after you called Lily some filthy names."

"Phoebe, this is no time for reunions. We have a lot to do," Prue said and removed the spell on the two.

"Boy, if you ever do this again..." Vernon growled.

"He did nothing," Prue interrupted. "It was entirely our fault."

He scowled at us, then made to rise. Before he could, Piper froze him.

"What a horrid man. Should I erase his memory?" Paige asked.

"Can't," Piper replied. "We'll need him to remember in case we need to get in touch with Harry. Well Harry, you're home and if you ever want to get away, just give a call for Leo. We'll be back soon. Lily would kill us if we left her son alone with Petunia."

We all felt a stab of sadness.

"Thanks, I think," Harry said.

Piper unfroze Vernon. Before he could say anything, we were out of the house.

Yet somewhere in the middle of getting back to the house, something caught us. We fell to the ground heavily. Looking around, I saw a strange net surrounding us. I couldn't see anything past it. However, I could feel that we were being dragged along the ground.

"Hey! What the hell?"

We yelled several spells and tried our powers. Nothing worked against our durance. After an eternity, we stopped and the net was thrust off of us. We jumped up, wands ready.

We were in a living room. The chairs were decorated with crocheted covers. It was obvious that the person owned quite a few cats. Around us were half a dozen wizards. They all had their wands pointed. "_Expelliarmus!_"

Our wands flew out of our hands. Prue sent the wizards flying into the wall and got back our wands. "Everybody just stop," she ordered.

The action mostly stopped. Those who had been knocked down got up. "What kind of Death Eaters are you? How are you able to use spells without a wand?" a middle-aged wizard demanded.

"Death Eaters? You think we're Death Eaters?" Piper said and laughed.

"We are the Charmed Ones," Paige said.

"Oh yeah? Prove it."

"Fine. Leo!"

Leo orbed in.

"This is Leo, an Elder," said Piper. "Who else would be able to call upon an Elder"

The man shifted his attention from us to Leo. "Is this true? Are they the Charmed Ones?"

Leo, who had been understandably bewildered when he had appeared, gained his bearings at this question. "Yes, they are the Charmed Ones. Who are you?"

"Arthur Weasley."

"You're part of the Order of the Phoenix, aren't you?"

"Yes."

There was a short silence as everyone eyed everyone else. "Well, you have nothing to worry about. All of you," Leo told us and orbed out.

We looked to Arthur. "Are we allowed to leave?"

"Actually, you are just the ones Dumbledore wanted to see."

_CRACK_. Someone apparated in suddenly.

"Ah, the Halliwell sisters. It's been a long time," Dumbledore said lightly.

**

* * *

Paige **

In front of us stood Dumbledore, our old teacher. It had been years since we had last seen him. He looked very much the same. His eyes passed over each of our faces. He seemed very pleased to see us. "Professor!"

He smiled. "You have grown up a lot, Paige. You've no need to call me Professor. Dumbledore will do, thank you."

A warm comfort filled me. Dumbledore usually had that effect. His presence always made me feel that everything would be all right.

"I see you received my message. I didn't expect that you would be rounded up, though."

And he always could make us laugh. "So you sent that letter," Prue said.

"I indeed did."

"The other one too?"

"Correct. Now, I believe introductions are in order. This is Arthur Weasly. He works for the Ministry. Kingsley Shacklebolt. Alastor Moody. Nymphadora Tonks. Mundungus Fletcher. Dedalus Diggle." He turned to the wizards. "These four are Phoebe Halliwell, Piper Halliwell, Paige Matthews, and Prudence Halliwell."

I recognized Moody as one of Phoebe's former superiors.

"I remember Phoebe. You were one of my best students, even if you were a little cocky," Moody said in a rumbling voice.

Phoebe chuckled a little.

"So why were we rounded up, anyways?"

"That I am unclear on. What happened, Arthur?"

"Harry disappeared," Arthur said. "They brought him back. We were just being prudent."

He nodded. "Spell gone wrong, girls?"

"As usual," Piper replied. "So what's going on in the big world of wizardry?"

Dumbledore's expression turned somber. "Lord Voldemort has risen again. We're doing all we can in the Order, but we still need help."

We all avoided his gaze. We knew that we had been wrong to leave the wizarding world. We were partly responsible for all the things that had happened.

"And help from the Charmed Ones would be the greatest help possible."

"Of course we'll help," I said.

Piper and Prue both nodded. Phoebe was looking vaguely at the wall.

"Who killed him?" she asked softly.

Dumbledore knew whom she was talking about. "Bellatrix Lestrange."

Phoebe's grip on her wand tightened. I could tell that she was fighting back tears.

"Phoebe, if you want to go home—" Piper began.

"No," she said loudly. "I'd like to know what happened. How was Voldemort able to rise? What happened while we were gone?"

He sighed wearily. "That is a long tale indeed. Do sit."

We sat down, anxious to find out what had happened.

"It all begins with a prediction. It was the prediction made by Sibyll Trelawney."

"That old hack?" I burst out.

"Yes. She predicted the arrival of the one who could defeat Voldemort." He closed his eyes. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born to those who have thrice defied him..."

"Lily and James."

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes still closed. "Born as the seventh month dies… And the Dark Lord will mark him as equal..."

"The scar."

"But he will have powers that the Dark Lord knows not…" At this point he opened his eyes. "And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."

Prue was the one to speak the meaning. "Harry is the only one who can kill Voldemort."

"It is a heavy destiny, but he will bear it well."

"But he's so young," I said.

"That is precisely why we need you so much. We need to build up our forces. As I was saying, Voldemort killed James and Lily on that long ago day. He went after Harry before he killed Lily..."

"And she begged him to spare him. She created the ancient magic in him. It protected him from the curse," Phoebe said in a faint voice. She seemed to not be seeing anything. She blinked and woke up.

"Voldemort was not dead, though. He lived on, forgotten by his followers. Everything was quiet for a while. Then, during Harry's first year, he nearly got a hold of the Sorcerer's Stone. Harry defeated him."

He launched into the various stories of Harry's adventures. We were held spellbound. We were shocked when we learned the truth about Peter.

"Peter brought Voldemort back to life?" Piper asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately. He is now Voldemort's right hand man."

Last, he related the tale of what had happened during Harry's fifth year. During his explanation of Sirius's death, tears slid down Phoebe's face. She wiped them away quickly, but we had all seen.

At that precise moment, a wizard apparated in. He had a rather shabby look about him. He looked much older than I was sure he was. He seemed very familiar. Who was he?

"Ah, Remus," Dumbledore said. "I see you got our call."

Remus? Remus Lupin? My mouth hung open as I stared. My sisters had similar reactions.

"Sorry I'm late. I—" He stopped when he saw Piper. "Piper?"

Her face hardened. She walked stiffly up to him and slapped him.

"Piper!" I said, appalled.

"How dare you show your face here," she said in a hiss. "How dare you speak my name after what you did to me." She raised her hand again. Prue and I restrained her.

"Not now Piper."

"Just once more. Just let me hurt him," she pleaded as she struggled.

Remus looked at her, confusion in his eyes.

"Calm down, Piper."

She gradually did and we released her.

Remus opened his mouth to say something. He never got the words out, though, for Prue fell to her knees, clutching her head in agony.

We instantly knew what was wrong. "Thoughts are being forced into her head. Protection spell." The three of us muttered the spell in unison. Prue lay sprawled on the ground, knocked out but still alive. She would be okay. She had gone through this type of thing before, but it had never been so strong.

"Someone is playing with us."

* * *

It was late at night. We were at home in our bedrooms, pretending to sleep. Well, Prue really was asleep. The attack had taken a lot out of her. Piper was pacing in her room. I was lying in bed, wide-awake. I didn't know exactly what Phoebe was doing, but it seemed likely that the truth about Sirius had dawned on her. I knew that I would never get to sleep, so I got up and padded silently to Phoebe's room. The door opened before I could knock. 

Phoebe stood before me. She looked completely disheveled. Her hair was a mess. Her eyes were red from crying, and her face was blotchy. "Oh Paige," she sobbed and threw her arms around me. "He's dead. I never got to say goodbye. I wasted the years being angry with him. I could have been there. I could have stopped his death. It's my fault."

"It is not your fault," I said firmly. "This is Bellatrix Lestrange's fault."

"But if I had been there, I could have helped him." She sobbed again. "I was so stupid. One fight and I was out of there. Voldemort was so powerful. Why didn't I see that? Why couldn't I just accept it?"

"He died doing good."

"That doesn't matter," she said bitterly. "I still should have done much more. I love him. I've always loved him. But my pride got in the way. I couldn't let it go and return to him." A fresh wave of tears began. "I love him. I want him back."

"I know, hon. I know. We're all here for you."

She didn't drop off to sleep until it was early the next morning. I hoped that her dreams were peaceful. The road ahead of us certainly was not.


	3. Healing

**Prue **

I woke up with a major headache. My vision swam as I sat up. I kept my balance for exactly one minute. Then I fell back. "I need some Advil or something." My head throbbed even more. I decided that it was best not to talk. I made a few motions with my hand and a bottle of Advil and a glass of water glided onto my bedside table. Though I knew that the Advil would do nothing, I gulped them down, wishing that Paige could heal me. Unfortunately, my injury was mental and not physical. It would have to go away on its own. I figured that if I pretended that the medicine could work, then maybe it would.

Paige and Piper had been up and about for a while. I had a feeling that Phoebe wasn't going to get up any time soon. I couldn't blame her.

I heard as Piper lightly knocked on Phoebe's door then opened it. "Phoebe, I've got breakfast for you. Come on. You have to eat."

Even though it pained me terribly, I continued to listen.

"No, I don't," Phoebe said flatly.

"Do you want me to force feed you?"

Phoebe didn't answer.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. You better be done by then." I heard the door shut. My door opened silently. "Morning, Prue," Piper whispered. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I got run over by a train. How 'bout you?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "It's just so much to take in. I can't believe that they're dead."

"Me too," I said with a sigh. "So what's on the schedule for today?"

"Rest for you. A meeting with Dumbledore for Paige and I."

"But I feel fine. I can go." I tried sit up, but yet again, I fell back. "Whoa. No, I guess I can't."

"You are to stay in bed all day."

"You don't need to tell me twice. Who's going to take care of Wyatt? Phoebe doesn't seem to be very aware of anything."

"Chris, as usual."

"Ah. When are you leaving?" I asked.

"Right now," Paige announced.

"Ouch." I winced.

"Sorry," she whispered. "Are you going to apparate, Piper?"

"Might as well. I should brush up on that."

"Good idea, but go to the other room," I said. "Apparation makes too much noise."

Piper nodded. "Okay, hon. Get some rest. We'll see you later."

They left. I rolled over and fell back to sleep.

* * *

A quiet conversation was what woke me up a while later. Chris and Phoebe were talking. Chris, I could tell, was rather alarmed by Phoebe. I was feeling good enough to use my powers, so I quickly astral projected into the room.

Chris was backing away from Phoebe. He looked totally freaked out.

"Don't you think I'm pretty?" Phoebe asked him, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Phoebe, I am not interested."

"Sirius wasn't interested either." She started to sob.

"Phoebe, don't do this," I said softly.

She didn't look at me or show any signs of having heard me. She only threw herself onto her bed, crying heavily.

"You can go," I told Chris. He was glad to get out of there. "Phoebe?"

She heaved a great sob and flicked her wand at me. I found myself back in my body. There was no point in trying to talk to Phoebe again until she decided to talk. That was definitely going to take a while.

_

* * *

CRACK. CRACK. CRACK. CRACK._

"Prue, if you don't cut if out, I'll send you to the underworld!" Piper yelled from somewhere downstairs.

_CRACK_. "What are you talking about?" I asked sweetly.

She gave me the evil eye. "You'll make Wyatt fuss."

"Sorry. I just feel so great! I'm doing magic again, and I'm fully recovered."

Piper had to smile. "Well, try to be a little more quiet."

"How's Phoebe?"

Piper's smile faded at the mention of Phoebe. "Not good. She won't talk to me."

"Or Paige. Or Chris. Or me. She's really taking this hard."

"Well, it did just happen. She's got a lot of guilt to deal with, especially with her abilities. It's not like anyone can ever fully get over a death."

That was something we both knew well. "What are we going to do today?"

"Dumbledore arranged a meeting with Fudge."

"Ugh. That man really gets on my nerves."

"Same with me."

"Good morning, sisters," Phoebe said as she walked in. She looked quite composed. I could hardly believe that this was the same Phoebe I had talked to an hour ago. I was immediately suspicious.

"You're in a very good mood," I said.

"Why shouldn't I be? Life is good; life is great!" She grinned widely.

Piper and I exchanged looks. "Are you feeling up to a meeting with Fudge?"

"With gusto!"

This new Phoebe was an improvement, but it was clear that Phoebe had used a spell to achieve her new state. We would take care of her after the meeting. Perhaps it was taking the easy way out, but I didn't have many options.

"Paige, we're leaving," Phoebe called up the stairs.

Paige orbed in next to us. "Let's go."

_CRACK._ We appeared in the middle of the Ministry of Magic.

"Are you the Halliwells?"

We turned and saw a young woman sitting at a desk.

"Yes, we are."

"The Minister is ready for you."

I mentally sighed and led my sisters into the office.

"Ah, the Halliwell sisters," Fudge said. "It's good to see you. Do sit down."

Cornelius hadn't changed very much. The only thing different about him was the fact that he looked a few years older.

"Well, it certainly has been a long time since we last met. Again we are brought together because of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Dumbledore told me that you will be joining the Order and helping us to fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

So he still couldn't say Voldemort's name. "We indeed will be doing that," I said.

"Your help will be priceless." He then started to explain his battle plans. We occasionally interjected a thought. I was pleased to find that he quite realized that he didn't think he was all mighty.

_Thank goodness they know what to do. I've never been very talented at planning battle strategies. _

Voldemort's appearance in the Department of Mysteries had humbled him nicely. He could take constructive criticism quite well now.

"Thank you so much for all that you're doing for the resistance. It really is appreciated."

"It's the least we can do, Minister," Phoebe said sincerely.

"Call me Cornelius."

I smiled. "We'll see you soon."

At home, we burst out laughing.

"He's a young man in an old man's body," Phoebe said with a smile. The phone rang. "That's Jason." She ran off into the other room. A few minutes later, she came back into the room grinning from ear to ear. "He's coming in for a visit next weekend."

"What about Sirius?" Paige blurted out. I threw her a severe look.

Phoebe showed no reaction. "What about him?"

"Are you over him?"

"He's dead. There's no use pining over a lost love."

My worry increased. There was no way that Phoebe could have gotten over Sirius so quickly. I searched through her thoughts, but they were giving the same message.

_I lost contact with him. It's not like we were close. I swear, they're more upset about him than I am. I don't see what the big deal is. _

"I've got a lot to do. Give me a call if a demon attacks." She disappeared before we could say a word.

"She—"

Piper's words were cut short when an owl flew into the window. She opened the window. The owl flew in acting as if had happened.

"Who's it from?" I asked.

"Dumbledore. Our induction into the Order will be taking place next Saturday."

My trouble-alarm went off. "Phoebe won't like that," I said, frowning.

"I know. I really don't see why she likes Jason so much. He just doesn't seem like her type," Piper responded.

"Yeah, but it's Phoebe's choice," Paige said.

Suddenly, a memory popped into my head from nowhere. "Oh! I forgot to show you the book."

"What book," Paige asked.

"Our eternal youth journal." The journal came zooming down. "I just found it again. It's really funny."

We plopped down on the couch and read through the journal. One of the entries that we lingered on was the one where Lily had written about one of her secrets.

_We have brought in a guest writer, Lily Evans. Of course, that last name will soon be changed to Potter, won't it Lily? _Phoebe had written.

_NO! I love James, but we won't be getting married for a while. _

_So that's an affirmative to the question of marriage. After all, he won't be getting any until then. _

_Phoebe, you have a sick mind! _

_Thank you! _

_Phoebe, you're getting away from the main topic. Lily has an interesting secret to admit. Spill it! _Piper had written.

_Yes, before we die of anticipation. _

_Do I have to? _

_Yup! _

_Fine. Well… In my first year, I had a huge crush on Sirius. _

_He is damn sexy, isn't he? _

_Ew. I'm so over him. I also had a crush on Remus. But that was back in the third year. I'm over him too. _

_Good thing. Piper would get jealous. _

_Hush, Pheebs. So Lily, did you have a crush on Peter? _

_EWWWWWWWW! GROSS! _

_Just a guess, but I'd say that's a no, _Piper had written.

_You guess correctly! _

_Hey, who's the psychic here? I know, I know. Hush, Pheebs. _

_Hush, Phoebe. _

_Any more secrets to share? _

_Well…_

_You do. I can feel it. _

_That's cheating and it's creepy. _

_Please tell us. Didn't I sound like Piper? _

_Hmm… It's not my secret to tell. _

_Please? _

_Here comes Grams. _

_Signing off. _

The other interesting entry was one that we had never read before. Phoebe had entered a secret entry at the very end. It was the entry that we had specifically banned.

_I am going against my sisters with this entry. I'm allowing the boys to write an entry. Hopefully my sisters won't find it until much later. Anyways, the boys are James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. I thought I'd include them in this, even though they have that Marauder's Map. _

_Hey, how'd you know about that? _James's familiar writing said.

_I'm a very talented psychic. Of course, Prue also knows about it. She read your minds. _

_She read our minds? I thought she had some sort of code about that stuff, _Sirius had written.

_She does. However, she can't always stop her telepathy. _

_Remind me to not think around Prue, _Sirius had said.

_You think? _was Remus's comment.

_Hey! _

_No fighting in this journal. _

_Sorry Phoebe. _

_Well, I have a purpose for this conversation. _

_Oh no. _

_What is it? _

_I'm creating a special remote control. It'll be like a time turner. I need your help. _

_Cool. What do you need us to do? _

_I need you to help me convince Piper to try a copy spell. _

_Why do you need a copy of Piper? _

_So that I can put the copy's power into the remote. _

_She shouldn't be too hard to convince, _Remus had said.

_And what methods do you have in mind, Moony? _

_Okay, don't even get into that. She's my sister, for goodness sake. Bad mental image. _

_I didn't know that you were sensitive about anything. _

_I'm a woman of mystery. So will you help me? _

_Of course we will. _

_Thank you! We'd better get started. Phoebe signing off. _

"Well, here's another thing to talk with Phoebe about," I said.

"She never told me that she was making a time remote control," Piper said.

"Classic Phoebe."

Paige gasped. "I think I know what happened to Phoebe."

**

* * *

Piper**

"Leo! I know you're busy with that Elder stuff, but get your butt down here." I waited anxiously. "Leo"

"Leo's never busy. He's always here," Paige pointed out as she looked up hotels in England.

"Leo!"

The usual blue light lit up the room. "What is it? What happened?"

"Phoebe isn't sad anymore. You took away her emotions," I said simply.

"No, I didn't. She asked me to, but I wouldn't do it."

"So what happened to her?" I wondered.

"I don't know."

"Well, it's kind of obvious," Paige said, not taking her eyes off the brochure. "She must've channeled his powers. She used to do that all the time when we were younger, remember?"

"All too well," Prue muttered. "So can you put her back to the way she was?"

"Of course."

"Thanks. Hey, am I allowed to blow up Lupin?" I asked.

Leo raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"Maybe just a finger?"

"No, you can't blow up Lupin. Why would you want to?"

"Just a little revenge."

"No."

"Fine. You can go now," I said.

He orbed out.

"Oh, I found the perfect hotel," Paige said. "Let's make reservations."

"You sure are taking control of the situation. Don't you have a real job?" Prue asked.

"Not yet. The temp agency hasn't gotten anything for me yet."

"Ah. Maybe you'll get a job at the Ministry," I said.

Paige caught my eyes. "Feeling a little warmer towards the magical world?"

"I never had a problem with the magical world. Just Lupin."

Lupin... I would have to see him again on Saturday. At least I had some great hexes on hand. Revenge would be quite sweet.

* * *

Friday morning I discovered why I had so enjoyed the time when Prue had had a job. She was currently between jobs, for reasons I did not know and did not dare to ask about. I knew that she would have stayed home even if she had had a job, but that didn't factor into my early morning irritation.

"Get up! We have to get ready," Prue sang as she threw open the curtains.

I burrowed under the covers. "We're apparating! And the initiation isn't until tomorrow."

"We have to get set up in England."

"What?"

"Paige wants to do some sightseeing, and I want to visit some of the old haunts."

"It's too early," I grumbled.

"It's nearly noon. Late night?" Prue asked mischievously.

"No." In truth, it had been a late night. I had been flying. I had never told my sisters that I was an animagus. Even I was surprised that I had held out for so long.

"Whatever you say." She fake coughed the word 'Greg'.

"I'm up."

From that moment to the end of the day, my sisters dragged me all over England. They were far more nostalgic than I was. I was most happy when we settled in at the hotel.

"That was great," Phoebe said through a mouthful of chocolate frog. She was still perky. Her cheerfulness was starting to get on my nerves.

"I guess."

"You guess? Piper, you are such a downer."

"Admit it. You love England as much as we do." Prue was sporting a silvery wizard's hat.

"I can't believe that we've been living like muggles for all these years," Paige said. "These wizarding products are great."

As they chatted, I thought of what I was going to do on my own tour of England. For some reason, I wanted to fly somewhere. It was an undeniable urge, and I knew that I was going to be flying that night.

* * *

The night air rushed by my feathery body. I could hear everything. I could practically feel all the life in the world. It felt wonderful. I hooted, loving everything about flying.

I glided skillfully onward. Something was pulling me through sky. There was an urgency pulsing in me. It was like I was out of my body. I had broken the earthly bounds. I was at a higher level. I had never felt anything like it before.

The urgency grew to a climax as I settled into a tree by an apartment building. I peered into the window. Someone entered the room. He was turned away from me. I waited impatiently for him turn. My curiosity always was more acute when I was in my owl form. I had to know who he was. After an eternity, the man turned and I saw his face. I would have gasped if I had the ability. I flew swiftly to the windowsill.

The man was Remus Lupin. He looked terribly worried and stressed. Compassion for him rose up inside me. Despite the past hurt, I was still in love with him.

Suddenly Remus spotted me. He stared at me for a moment. I couldn't tell if he recognized me or not. I found the answer out quickly when he came over. Before I could fly away, he opened the window and brought me in. I struggled quite a bit, but he held me firmly.

"Hello, Piper."

My bright eyes bore into him. I hooted softly, flew up into the air, and changed. "How did you know?"

"I have never seen any other owl with such a unique mark."

The hatred that I had fostered for him had disappeared. How could hate the man that was standing before me? He was the same one that I had loved for so many years. I had only one problem with him. "Why did you do it?" I softly questioned.

"Do what?"

"Break off the engagement. You never gave me a good reason."

Remus looked genuinely confused. "You broke off the engagement."

"What?"

He went over to the desk and pulled out a letter. "You sent this to me."

I read it. "Remus, I can't go through with the wedding... I don't love you anymore... Don't come after me... Piper?" I looked up at him. "I didn't write this."

"This came with the letter." He placed the familiar ring in my hand.

I looked at the ring, wondering if I could really trust my eyes. "But… I threw this at you after you broke off the engagement."

"What happened that day?"

"You came over late at night," I said. "You told me that things weren't working out. It was the day before that letter was written."

He was silent for a few moments. "I couldn't have been with you. It was the full moon." He again paused. "You know, I've only just realized how much this handwriting resembles Wormtail's."

"Polyjuice potion?"

"It would appear."

"But why?" I asked.

"Well, Voldemort couldn't have the Charmed Ones getting in the way," Remus said. "He had to get rid of you."

"So he sent Wormtail. Was Peter always like this?"

"He always needed to be protected. Voldemort turned out to be the best protection."

I sighed. "Well, now that that's cleared up..." I looked at him closely. "No offense, but you look like hell, Remus."

"It's not easy being a werewolf. So many restrictions."

"I want to hear about what happened. But first..." I placed my hand on his cheek and brought my lips to his. The old feelings of warmth and comfort filled me as we kissed. "I love you, Remus," I said when we ended the kiss.

We talked for most of the night. I ended up sleeping in his arms. I had forgotten how wonderful it was to share a bed with Remus.

* * *

The sound of Remus's voice was what awoke me the next morning. "Piper."

"Hmm?" I held onto him, breathing in his delicious scent.

"You have to go to your sisters."

I snuggled closer to his body. "Can't I just stay with you?"

"Your initiation is today. You can't be late for that."

"I suppose." I closed my eyes again.

"Here." He slipped something onto my finger. I opened my eyes to find that the engagement ring was back. "Does this still apply?"

"Yes!" I was engaged yet again.


	4. Tomorrow Will Come

**Phoebe **

"Engaged?" I asked.

"Engaged," Piper said, a smile upon her lips.

"Wow. Congratulations!" I hugged her.

She felt so happy. I could feel it within me. How her happiness pained me. I didn't want to feel anything, but she was my sister. I couldn't let my self-pity ruin her day. _Why did Leo have to pull back my happiness?_ I knew why. I didn't want to accept it, though.

"When is the wedding going to be?" Paige asked.

"I just found out last night."

Paige gave her a look.

Piper smiled guiltily. "August. I want a nice summer wedding."

I didn't bother to deny my own feelings. I was jealous. She had gotten a second chance. She could give it another try. I couldn't. Sirius was dead. He was gone forever. I wasn't going to get any second chances at happiness with him.

"Is Grams going to perform the ceremony again?"

"I think I'll have a nice, normal wedding," Piper said.

"That usually doesn't happen in this family," Prue said.

"This time, I'm going to make sure that it is completely normal."

"Well, good luck on that," Prue said. "We need to get going. I wonder what this ceremony is going to be like."

"We'll just have to find out," Paige said. "Piper, invisibility."

In order to not be noticed, we had to orb instead of apparate. We were silent as we waited for the building to appear. Finally it did and we knocked on the door.

"Oh, hello. Come in, come in." A redheaded woman ushered us in. "You must be the Charmed Ones. We're so pleased that you're joining the Order. I'm Molly Weasley. You've already met my husband."

A terrible screeching filled the halls. It was coming from the portrait of a woman. She was very familiar…

"Oh no!" Molly seized the cord that led to the curtains.

"Hello, Mrs. Black," I said calmly.

Mrs. Black stopped and stared at me. "You!" she shrieked.

"Yes, it is I."

"You filthy, dirty—"

"I wouldn't start that again," I interrupted. "Remember the last time?"

She stopped again, giving Prue an opportunity to telekinetically shut the curtains.

"So this is the Black house?" Piper said.

"Yes, it is. Is Kreacher still hanging around here?" I asked Molly.

"No. He finally died."

"Phoebe, how do you know Mrs. Black?" Piper asked me.

"Ah, the sisters have arrived," Dumbledore said, getting me off the hook.

"Hello, sir."

"We can begin, then. Follow me."

In the kitchen, the other members of the Order were waiting. I felt a wave of warmth from Piper as she made eye contact with Remus. I angrily pushed it away. I didn't want to know love again.

The table in the kitchen had a pentacle drawn on it. I assumed that this was going to be part of the ritual.

The general mood was rather tense. Everyone in the Order was feeling nervous about Voldemort.

"Charmed Ones, you have chosen to join the Order of the Phoenix. Our mission is to stop Voldemort."

I had forgotten how serious Dumbledore could look.

"Today you join a great power. Place your hand on a point of the pentacle."

_Sounds familiar._ I placed my hand on one of the points.

"Piper Halliwell, Phoebe Halliwell, Prue Halliwell, and Paige Matthews, you are now a part of the Order of the Phoenix. Welcome."

An odd current passed through our bodies. I could sense that we were not only bound to the Order by our word but also through our spirits. We were in it for the long haul. I knew that we could handle it.

* * *

Flashback

"_Sirius, I want to meet your parents," I said as we walked through Diagon Alley._

_He shook his head. "That's really not a good idea. My parents are terrible people."_

"_How could they be so horrible with a son like you?"_

"_Trust me. You do not want to meet them."_

"_I do."_

"_I haven't seen them in a long time."_

"_Please?" I put my head on his shoulder and made puppy eyes at him._

_He looked at me grimly, but he couldn't stand up to the puppy eyes. "Fine. But I warned you."_

"_Thank you!"_

_Over the next few days, Sirius constantly reminded me that his parents were evil. _

"_I can handle myself. How do I look?" I asked, smoothing out my dress nervously._

"_You look great, as usual. But that won't matter to them."_

"_All I need is one meeting. Come on, let's go."_

_As it turned out, Sirius was right. I had never felt such intense hatred from anyone before._

"_Are your parents of pure blood?" his mother asked bluntly._

"_My father's a muggle," I responded, my annoyance immediately flaring up. I tried to snuff it out. I was the one who had asked for this meeting. I was going to tough it out._

"_Typical of you to pick a mudblood," his father said. _

"_How—" Sirius started to snarl._

"_No," I said quickly. "It's acceptable for people to differ on their views." I had worked very hard to overcome my anger. I wouldn't let one meeting with Sirius's parents change that._

"_I'm going to make this very clear to you. We do not like our son. We don't care about what happens to him. So if you came here in hopes of receiving our approval, you were sorely mistaken," his mother said. _

"_How dare you talk about Sirius like that," I said in a cool, even voice. "He is a wonderful person." My anger had become something else. I believe that is what allowed me to do something I had never done before and never did again. I forced my empathy into Sirius's mother. "That anger that you now feel is unfamiliar because it is righteous anger." I pulled back my empathy and we left. _

End flashback

How I had been able to do what I had done was a mystery to me. I had never asked Leo, mostly because I doubted he knew. It wasn't another power. It had felt more like possession. Yet I was in control then, more in control than I thought I could ever be. It was power, but it was also control.

I pondered the event in the hotel room while my sisters slept. Suddenly, someone grabbed me. I had a minor heart attack before I realized that Paige had grabbed me. While I was trying to get out of her grip, she orbed us to the roof and back again. _So Paige orbs in her sleep. Strange._

"Piper," Prue said suddenly, making both Piper and I jump.

"What?"

"There's a demon in the corner. Go blow it up," Prue said and rolled over. She was asleep.

Piper peered at the corner. "Phoebe, is there a demon in the corner?"

"No. She's just dreaming."

"I don't think I can take another night of this."

"Neither can I."

* * *

_BEEP. BEEP._ I groped around to find the alarm clock. I found it and banged on it.

"OW! Young lady, you should have more respect for alarm clocks."

I jumped up, wide-awake. "What?"

"Magical alarm clocks have feelings too, you know," the alarm clock sniffed.

I groaned. "Piper, did you have to bring the magical alarm clock? It's so annoying."

"I forgot that it talked," she replied with a great yawn.

"You two seem awfully tired," Paige said, looking way too cheerful.

"That's because _you _orbed me to the roof."

"Oh. Sorry about that."

"And Prue told me that there was a demon in the corner," Piper added. "She hasn't sleep-talked in a long time."

"Where is Prue?" I asked.

"She went for a walk," Paige replied.

"I see," I said.

"Do we get to go home yet? I miss Wyatt."

"No, we can't go back yet," Paige said. "We have a meeting tonight. We probably should consider moving to England."

"You know, you're right," I said.

My sisters looked at me like I was crazy.

"Are you serious?" Paige asked.

"Yes. England is the center of magical activity. Since we're getting back into the wizarding world, it only makes sense that we should move here."

"Okay. Sounds good to me. Piper?"

"Definitely."

"We'll have to quit our jobs and find new ones here. I'll have to sell the club," Piper said. "That's going to take a while."

"Well, magic might help a bit," I said.

"I don't know about that," Piper responded. "But we should probably start that stuff when we get back."

"What are we doing today, then?" I said, leaning back against the headboard of the bed.

"We could look at houses."

"Eager?"

Paige shrugged. "A little."

"You two do that. I have something to take care of," I said. "I'll be back soon."

It took me only a short time to get ready. When I was ready, I disapparated. I appeared in a cemetery. Ever since I had found out about Sirius's death, I had wanted to see his grave. I needed that closure.

I knew exactly where to go.

_Sirius Daniel Black._ The cold words taunted me. I stared at them for a long time before I started to cry. _This is wrong. He can't be dead._ "We were supposed to spend our lives together," I wept. "Why did you have to leave me? I want you back! I want you back." He wasn't supposed to be dead. "I love you, Sirius."

I spent a while there. Everything that I had suppressed before rose up in me. I felt just as I had when mom had died. "Why?"

Someone orbed in behind me.

"Leo?"

The person didn't answer.

"Chris?" My heart filled with an odd joy. I quickly turned around.

There was no one there.

* * *

**Paige **

"Giants and dementors, eh?"

"Yes," Dumbledore confirmed. "He plans to bring them to his side."

"And Harry too?"

The other members of the Order looked at Prue.

"Don't mind her. She reads minds," Piper explained.

"Yes, that is his plan. Of course, we won't let him do that. We're guarding him very well." Dumbledore paused.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Voldemort is also searching for two other children. We have reason to believe that those children will be yours. After all, you are the Charmed Ones."

"Is Wyatt in danger?" Piper asked urgently.

"Not while he is with Leo. He is perfectly safe in the heavens."

"But how do you know that Wyatt is one of the ones he wants?"

"Wyatt has the sword. He is the most powerful force in the world. Voldemort will want him on his side."

"And the other child?" Prue asked.

"Not yet born. The aid of a psychic would be useful."

Phoebe looked up. She had been spacing out throughout the meeting. "I'd need something to get a vision from."

"Not a problem." He swished his wand. A small globe appeared on the table. "A prophecy concerning the Charmed Ones and the three."

Phoebe cautiously picked up the prophecy. A moment later, she gasped and closed her eyes. "It's definitely Wyatt and Harry. The third one." She stopped, then continued more slowly. "The other one is my son."

We all took a moment to process this. Phoebe was going to have a son? When? With whom?

"I must ask something of you four," Dumbledore said.

"Anything."

"Will you help us train Harry? Your extensive knowledge of battle will help him greatly."

"We'd love to," Piper said.

"Also, I know that you have all mastered Occlumency. Harry started to learn Occlumency from Severus Snape, but that was interrupted. We'd like you to continue it."

My sisters and I froze.

"Snape? _Severus Snape_?" Phoebe asked incredulously.

"Yes. He is the potions master at Hogwarts. He couldn't attend tonight's meeting," Dumbledore said.

I held up my hand. "Hold it. When did he join us?"

"A while ago. He has truly reformed."

"Ah. See, I find that hard to believe. Plus, there's the fact that he hates the Charmed Ones, especially me. I can't work with him," Phoebe said.

"You two are no longer sixteen. I daresay that you'll be able to overcome the feuds of the past. And I trust him."

"Well, if you trust him, I suppose I can too," Phoebe grudgingly said. "As for the feud, I doubt that he'll let it go."

Dumbledore gave Phoebe a look.

"I'm just saying that I'll believe when I see it."

Phoebe never lost her brazen personality.

"That is all for tonight."

Out in the hall, we discussed the meeting.

"I can't believe that Snape is in the Order. He always had a dark wizard feel about him," I commented.

"People can change. You have wonder, though, if he is a person."

I had to agree with Piper there. We all only had bad memories of Snape.

"What about training Harry?"

"I think it'll be very interesting. Phoebe will—"

Phoebe was spacing again.

"Phoebe?" Piper asked.

"His room is just up there. I remember." She was smiling.

"Phoebe, let's go," Prue said. She took a hold of Phoebe's arm. Phoebe wrenched free.

"I just need to see it once more. Just this once." She climbed the stairs, looking mesmerized.

We followed her, not wanting to let her do something she'd regret. We stopped at the door, allowing her to be alone. After a few minutes, we entered.

"Pheebs, come on," Prue said. "We need to get home."

Phoebe was on the bed, holding a letter. "He wrote to me before he died. He kept the ring. He even kept the photo album."

"We're going now." I took her hand and orbed her home.

* * *

We all kept a close eye on Phoebe, but she seemed to be getting better. True, she did walk around in a daze, but she was making progress. I was sure that her progress had to do with the letter. I was quite curious about what he had written.

"He was going to try to contact me. He never got a chance," Phoebe said quietly one rainy day. "He's dead. I've lost him forever. But my love for him can never die. Look what he wrote." She handed me the letter.

_Dearest Phoebe,_

_I know that you asked me to not contact you, but I can't lose you. I've lost everything in my life. I'm trapped by my past. I have nowhere to turn. I have to let you know that I am still in love with you. There hasn't been any other woman in my life since you. You are the one I was meant to be with. I know that you don't believe that, but I do. I still remember what we had. You can't tell me that you've forgotten. I know you couldn't have. You kept me going in Azkaban. I would dream of you, and I would feel your presence. You are with me even though we're apart. I can't live without you anymore. Please, tell me how you feel about me. I need to know at least that. I love you, Phoebe Halliwell, and I always will._

_With all my love,_

_Sirius_

"We're soul mates. His soul is with me. It's a part of mine. We're joined forever, and nothing can change that."

I noticed that she was wearing the engagement ring.

"He kept the album." She motioned towards it. Inside there were pictures of Phoebe at different stages of her life. In each one, she looked so happy. Her happiness was kept in those photos. If I looked closely into Phoebe's eyes, I could almost see that happiness in her. "It's always going to hurt, but now that I know our love will never die…" She sucked in a breath. "It's easier. But it's still hard."

I wasn't quite sure of what to say.

"Tomorrow will come," she said. "It will come again."


	5. Blood Bond

**Prue **

"We should each train him in a different area. Phoebe, you'll train him in physical combat. Piper, you should teach him how to find his center. Paige, you'll teach him about dueling." I was absentmindedly twirling around my wand. _Occlumency… It's been a while. I'll have to ask Piper to use the spell on me. _

"And what will the great Prue be teaching him?" Phoebe asked. She was getting closer to who she used to be. She had times when she was happy. I knew that she could never get over it, though.

"I will be teaching him Occlumency."

"Ah. Why do you want me to teach him how to find his center?" Piper inquired.

"Because you're the only one who could destroy the Titans. You're more in touch with your center than the rest of us." The memory of the time when we were goddesses was very clear in my mind. Being the goddess of the hunt wasn't exactly something I could ever forget.

"So when is his first training session?"

"Wednesday."

"How are we going to train him? I don't know about you three, but I don't know where to start," Paige said.

"Just start where you started. Who taught you how to duel?"

"No one special." Paige looked down at her hands, fidgeting slightly.

"I see."

I didn't mean to, but I caught onto Paige's thoughts. _Was Cole really that special?_

Cole? _Cole?_ I stared at Paige.

"Prue? Earth to Prue." She waved her hand in front of my face. I blinked.

"Yeah…"

My sisters exchanged looks.

I tried to ignore this new information. "Piper, I need you to perform the legilimens spell on me."

"Okay. Ready?"

"Yes."

"_Legilimens!_"

I felt the spell bounce off me. "Good. I still have my resistance. Hit me with that spell whenever I have my guard down." I turned and started to leave.

"_Legilimens!_" The spell again bounced off me.

"I didn't mean right now!"

"Her!" Phoebe and Piper both said, pointing at each other.

I smiled and shook my head. At heart, my sisters were still little girls.

* * *

I took a deep breath, my eyes closed. I finally had a moment for myself. I was using that time to cleanse my powers. Every once in a while, I liked to get rid of any negative energy that I had picked up. It was something Leo had taught us, though my sisters weren't as dedicated as I was. _Release the negativity… _I evened my breathing and felt my emotions drift away. _I think I'll start with this with Harry._

"_Legilimens_!"

"Piper, I think I've got enough practice. You can't get me."

She sighed and left.

Meditation was something I enjoyed. It allowed me to disconnect from the world. Yet something nagged at my mind while I relaxed. _If I read Voldemort's thoughts, I can find out exactly what he's up to. It couldn't hurt…_I concentrated. The usual unintelligible whispers broke out. They cleared and I looked into Voldemort's thoughts.

_The Charmed Ones…_

I could barely hear him. I concentrated harder.

_The child…He is the key. I will…_

His thoughts faded out.

"No!" I cried angrily, my eyes snapping open. I had been so close to finding out his plans. Frustration blossomed within me. Then, very suddenly, it stopped. I couldn't feel anything. The room faded away and a new image appeared before my eyes. I was in the basement, yet I wasn't. My leg shot out in front of me and kicked a punching bag. But that wasn't my leg. That was Phoebe's leg. She was practicing in the basement. What was happening to me?

The atmosphere changed. There was someone with me. I was sure of it. "Who's there?" I asked in Phoebe's voice. Then I felt it. Someone was holding me. "No. You're not real." I knew that he couldn't be real. "Stop." I broke free and punched the punching bag.

My eyes snapped open. I was back in my room. I was myself again… Right? I grabbed a mirror. I indeed was myself. "But I have purple eyes!" I looked closely. As I watched, the purple drained out and my eyes became normal. "Okay, that was weird."

An angry screech broke the relative silence of the house. It was Phoebe. I groaned and got up. "What is it this time, Phoebe?" I called from the top of the stairs.

"What are you doing in my house?" she was yelling. "Get out!"

"Believe me, I would not be here if I had a choice," an all too familiar voice said.

I slowly walked into the room. "Severus Snape."

"The one and only," Phoebe said through clenched teeth. She was still in her work out outfit. She was glistening with sweat and exuding hatred. "He apparated here. Damn it, he's in our house!"

"Phoebe, breathe." I turned my gaze on Snape and coolly said, "Why are you here, Snape?"

"I'm simply here to give you instructions," he responded just as coolly.

"I'm sure," Phoebe said. "You're just here to get the Book for your old friend Voldemort."

Snape's expression did not change. "I have no interest in the Book. I only came here to tell you to pick up the Potter boy."

"He has a name, you know," Phoebe interjected.

"What happened?" I asked, ignoring Phoebe.

Snape's dark eyes flickered with mild glee. "He was kicked out of his house. He's at Figg's house." He glanced at Phoebe. "He's a very disturbed youth. I believe you would be able to relate to him."

Phoebe raised her wand. "Got anything more to say?"

I quickly confiscated her wand. She threw me a look. "Both of you cut this out."

But Snape wasn't going to back down. "Of course, you'll also be able to share memories about the dearly departed mutt. His days of crime, his—"

His words were cut short as she attacked him.

I raised her up. "Stop acting like children," I hissed. "Snape, do not talk about Sirius in that manner. Phoebe, get control of yourself or I will take off that empathy blocking spell." Suppressing the urge to flinch, I helped Snape up. "Yes, I knew about that."

"Just wanted to concentrate on my own emotions," she muttered. "I don't trust you, Snape. As far as I'm concerned, we're working on opposite sides."

"Phoebe," I said severely. I took off the spell on her and lowered her to the ground.

Snape smoothed out his robes. "The boy will be in your charge for the rest of the summer."

"But what about his blood protection?"

"Dumbledore says that there is no need to worry about that." He disapparated.

"Why did Dumbledore have to send him?" I sighed. "Well, we'd better get Paige. What's the matter with you?" Phoebe looked completely horrified.

"He thinks that I'm sexy! Ew, ew, ew!"

I rolled my eyes. "Phoebe, how old are you? Let's just go. Paige, where—"

"Right here," Paige said as she came in. "Where are we headed?"

"We're going to pick up Harry. He's been kicked out."

She nodded and we disapparated.

"Prue! Phoebe! Paige! It's been too long," Figg cried and hugged us.

"Hey, Figgy," Paige said, smiling. "Where's Harry?"

"In there. He's a bit shocked, I think."

"What happened?" I asked.

"He beat up his cousin. I don't really blame him, but Dumbledore isn't too pleased."

"I see. Thanks, Figg."

We walked cautiously into the room. "Harry?"

He looked up. _Not more lectures._

"We're not going to lecture you," I assured him. "Actually, you're going to be living with us. You have all your stuff, correct?"

Harry seemed understandably surprised. "You're taking me in? But you don't even—"

"Know you?" Phoebe finished. "We know a lot about you and we knew your parents. Come on, we've got much to discuss."

Paige orbed him and all his stuff to the Manor. "I'll show you around. Then we'll have a chat," she said and led him out of the room.

I sighed and sat down. A long silence passed between Phoebe and I before I spoke. "This is the craziest summer ever. First we find out that our closest friends are dead. Then we find out that Voldemort is after Wyatt. Then to top it all off, Petunia and what's-his-name kick Harry out. And it's only July. Lord knows what's in store."

"Do you think we'll become his legal guardians? It just seems so weird, you know? We've only met Harry once before."

"Dumbledore probably just wants him to be safe."

I frowned, picking at my cuticles. "Something just doesn't add up, though."

"Don't go digging for trouble," Phoebe said. "We always end up finding it."

A few minutes later, Harry and Paige came back in.

"Sit," I said. "There's no point making small talk at this time. What happened?"

"I… I got in a fight with my cousin."

Paige squinted, thinking. "Isn't he a squat, fat thing?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah. I lost my temper after he said some things about my parents."

"Who won?" was what Phoebe wanted to know.

"I did. When my aunt found him, she freaked out and then my uncle kicked me out."

"Ah. Well, welcome to the manor. We'll let you get settled and we'll talk more in the morning."

"I'm home!" Piper called as she apparated in. Her lipstick was smeared. Her hair was messed up. Her shirt was on backwards. A smile was plastered on her face.

"My, my," Phoebe said, grinning. "Miss Piper, where have you been?"

"A little spin on the Remus ride?" Paige giggled.

"From what we've heard, it's a big spin," Phoebe said with a wink.

_Lupin? _Harry incredulously thought.

"Yeah, they're engaged," I said.

"Hi, Harry," Piper said, then looked to me. "Why's he here so late?"

"He got kicked out. I'll explain tomorrow."

"And you will too," Paige said.

**

* * *

Piper**

"In order to defeat Voldemort, you have to build your skills. We will teach you how. I will be teaching you Occlumency. I know Snape," Prue flinched, "started to teach you, though incorrectly. Occlumency isn't very difficult. It all depends on how you approach it."

"Oh, that's boring, Prue," Paige said. "Now dueling, that's interesting. That fool, Lockhart, didn't know anything. I'll be teaching you the proper way to duel."

"Please," said Phoebe loftily. "Physical combat is way better. It's a little challenging, but it's fun, and you seem to have a head start on it."

My sisters looked to me expectantly. "Well, my subject is hardly interesting. I'll just be teaching you how to reach your center. Of course, you'll be able to tap into powers you never knew you had."

"But I get to demonstrate first," Phoebe said and jumped up. "Paige, come on. Combat time."

"I don't want to fight you. You used to train with Cole," Paige complained.

"Suck it up. Let's begin. Now, you must always very carefully watch the enemy. In doing so, you will be able to anticipate their next move. We'll begin with a simple frontal attack."

Paige hesitated.

"Attack me!"

"Fine."

"This," Phoebe said as she flipped Paige over, "is one way to defend yourself. Another way… is like this. If you want to perform the first move, you have to—"

Wyatt's cry interrupted her.

"That's my call." I hopped up the stairs to my room where I found a demon. "Hey!" I flicked my fingers and the demon exploded. I checked Wyatt over. He was okay. "Oh, you poor thing. Don't worry. The demon's gone now." I was so sick of demons trying to steal Wyatt. I was so scared that one of them was going to succeed. I couldn't lose my son.

Another demon appeared. "That's it! _Atrenus_!" The demon was thrown against the wall. He tried to move, but the spell kept him in place. "Now that you're not busy trying to steal my son, how about you tell this: who sent you?"

"I won't betray my master."

"I could just blow off a few body parts to loosen your tongue."

"The Dark Lord."

"Why does he want Wyatt?" I asked.

"He wants his power and the sword," the demon said.

"How far is he going to go to get it?"

"As far as he has to."

I flicked my fingers. "I need a spell."

* * *

I stopped at the door to the attic, listening carefully. Someone was going through the Book. I opened the door quietly. It was probably just one of my sisters, but just to be safe…

It was actually Chris. "Oh my God." Chris was indeed going through the book, but he was moving the pages telekinetically. "Chris? What the hell? Since when are you telekinetic?"

Chris hurriedly put his arms at his sides. "What? I don't know what you talking about."

"I saw you using telekinetic powers."

"I don't have time for this." He orbed out.

Call it coincidence, but the Book was open to the exact page that I needed.

* * *

"All this is really confusing. I don't get why Dumbledore turned Harry over to us, or why Chris has telekinetic powers. It could all be meaningless, but I think there is something going on," I told my sisters early the next morning.

"Chris's powers probably just come from his witchcraft. Speaking of that, why doesn't he ever carry around his wand?" Prue brought up a good point.

"Maybe he couldn't take it back with him," Phoebe suggested.

"But that doesn't make any sense," I said. "I mean, he's here to protect Wyatt against a demon."

"That's what he says," Paige said. "And he could just be hiding his wand. After all, he didn't exactly want us to know that he's only half whitelighter. Well, I have to get to my new job."

"You got a job already?" I hadn't even sold the club yet. "Where?"

"Uh, well, muggle relations," she said. "Back at my old job. They were quite pleased."

"That's great. I'm probably going to get back into the Department of Mysteries," I said.

Paige nodded and orbed out.

"We're all going to pick up our lives where we left them?" Prue said. I couldn't help but feel guilty. The tone of her voice told me volumes about what she and Paige had gone through… because of Phoebe and me.

"Yes. It seems logical." I looked to Phoebe. "Are you going to start up your auror training again?"

"Ask Phoebe is doing very well. I could just apparate from England."

"Every day?"

"I'll apparate to any job that I get," Phoebe pointed out.

"It would be easier, though, to get a magical job," Prue said. "Then you wouldn't have to pretend to be a muggle."

"I'm going to work now."

Shedisappeared from the room. Prue started to disapparate.

"Hold it," I said. "Where are you going?"

"Job interview. I'll be home before you know it."

I smiled. "I don't even have ask, do I?"

"Nope. Bye, Piper. Wait."

"What?"

"Epiphany," she said. "I think I know why Dumbledore left Harry in our charge."

We locked our gazes. "Why?"

"The Blood Bond."

"The Blood Bond? How could Dumbledore know about that?"

"Dumbledore just knows these things. He even knows," she gave me the classic big sister look, "that you are an animagus."

"He told you that? How did he know?"

"I'm not sure. I must say, I never expected that you'd become an animagus."

"I believe the Blood Bond is a little more pressing," I said, deftly getting off the subject.

"Right. We'll investigate that when I get back." Then she was gone.


	6. Love You to Death

**Phoebe**

Darkness surrounded me. I was getting closer. It was freezing, and it was getting colder. The cold didn't bother me, though. I was only aware of my goal. A wave of malevolent vibrations went through me. "There's no need for that, Cearbhall. I'm not here to vanquish you," I called. "Show yourself."

"Why are you here? You are a Charmed One. Why do you venture into the darkness of the Underworld?" His presence was all around me. His voice echoed through my head. I would have to keep him out.

"I have a proposition for you."

"Perhaps the Queen has returned?" He placed his hand on my shoulder. "No. I sense no evil in you. Evil intent, perhaps… But your soul is still pure. I could change that…"

"Don't even try it. I'm not here to get turned."

"Then what is your proposition?"

"Show yourself and I will explain." If Cearbhall kept his current form, it would be far easier for him to manipulate my thoughts. I needed him solid.

"Fine." A torch flared up and revealed Cearbhall. He looked mostly human, save for his horns.

"What would you say if I told you that I was willing to give up my powers as a Charmed One?" I asked.

He considered me. "I would say that you're setting a trap."

"This is no trap. I will give you my abilities as a Charmed One in exchange for your service."

"And what service might that be?" Cearbhall was interested. This was going well, but I still had to be careful.

"I want you to bring back someone from the dead."

"Who?"

"Sirius Black," I said. "I have a few conditions."

"Name them."

"You are not to attack my sisters using my powers. You will bring back the real Sirius and you won't force him to be evil. You get my powers and nothing else. Do we have a deal?"

"Well…" He put on an air of disinterest. "It is rather difficult to bring people back from the dead. Your powers aren't the greatest. Levitation, empathy, and premonitions, after all, might not even be worth the effort. Something more might encourage me."

I was immediately suspicious. "Such as what?"

"Such as, oh, I don't know… Your firstborn child?"

"What are you, Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Well, in order to bring him back to life, I'll have to find his soul, get it away from the Elders, and restore his body. It's a risky operation. If I get caught, I will be executed. Promise me the child and I will bring Sirius back to life."

"Deal." I had no intention of really giving up my child, but he didn't have to know that.

He waved his hand and a piece of paper appeared. "I'm afraid I need more of a guarantee. If you'll sign this, I'll be able to begin my work."

A quill flew into my hand.

"Sign it."

My hand hovered above the parchment. "I, Phoebe Halliwell, hereby promise the demon Cearbhall that I will relinquish both my powers and my firstborn in exchange for the life of Sirius Daniel Black." I looked up at Cearbhall. "Why do you want my firstborn? Once you gain my powers, he won't have any special abilities."

"I have my reasons. Do we have a deal?"

_Phoebe Ha_—

Someone orbed me.

"No! Leo, stop it!" I screamed and flailed wildly. "Let me go!"

I dropped down to the ground. "You could have at least been a little more gentle!" I yelled. "Might as well get to work," I grumbled and got up.

* * *

"I did not!" I yelled.

"Yes you did!" Snape called back.

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Not!"

"You did too!"

"Prove it!"

"Both of you shut up! Wyatt's fussing," Piper hissed as she tried to calm Wyatt down.

Harry was watching us with great amusement.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Wyatt." I kissed him on the top of his head. "But I am not lying."

"You went to see the demon Cearbhall," Snape accused. "He is a follower of the Dark Lord."

"Snape, be a man and call him Voldemort," I said. "And you're one to talk."

He flinched.

"Voldemort. Voldemort!"

"Do not say his name!" Snape growled.

"If you're going to yell, you two had better take your discussion into another room. The meeting is going to start soon, and it is only for adults," Piper said coolly.

"Phoebe, did you go down to the realm of Cearbhall?" Prue asked.

"No." I knew that Prue would be able to sense that I was lying. However, I couldn't admit that I had done something so desperate, so stupid, especially not in front of Snape. I would never live it down if he found out.

Prue looked at me closely.

_Please don't tell Snape, Prue. I did it. It was stupid. Just don't tell him._

"If she says she didn't do it, I believe her," she declared.

_Thank you, Prue._

"Good evening, all," Dumbledore said as he walked in.

"Dumbledore, I'm sorry, but Leo couldn't baby-sit and today's the nanny's day off."

"Perfectly understandable. I assume you'll be needing one of these." He conjured a crib.

"Thank you," Piper gratefully said. "I don't understand why Leo's so busy all of a sudden."

"He's training a new whitelighter," Paige said.

"Do you know who?"

"No. When I asked, Leo got all vague. It was like get didn't want me to know."

"Which means that it probably involves us," Piper concluded.

"We do not think we're the center of the universe, Snape," Prue said suddenly.

"Prue, please refrain from reading minds while we meet," Dumbledore lightly said.

"Sorry, sir."

The others started to arrive. The truth of what I had nearly did was now dawning on me, which made me feel really, really terrible. I had almost betrayed my sisters. I had almost given up my son before he was even conceived. What the hell was wrong with me?

"The demon Cearbhall is claiming that he almost snatched the third child," Dumbledore announced.

_Because of me._

"Therefore, we believe that it would be best if the Charmed Ones moved to England immediately."

"Sir, we still have to find a house," Paige pointed out.

"Your old house just went up."

"We still need to buy it. That will take a long time," Piper protested.

"Everything has been arranged."

"The moving?" Prue asked.

"Magic."

"I love the magical world."

Oh, God, was I losing my mind? Had the grief made me lose my sanity? Would I have to be chained up in a mental institution to keep others safe? Several more possibilities flashed through my mind, and I began to feel a bit sick. My own actions were making me feel sick to my stomach.

All of a sudden, something connected with the back of my head. I slumped forward, then rose up into the air. "Dumbledore, do you remember me?" My voice was not my own. I was someone else, yet I was myself. "I am reborn in the four. The medium, the mother, the master, and the mystic… You must remember my forms. The Elders did not realize how much power they would need. They gave them too little. That is why I have come." I threw my arms up toward the sky.

My sister rose up next to me. Their eyes had changed color, and as had their hair. Their essence was the same, though.

"Open your mind," we all said.

Everything went black.

* * *

Laughter was ringing in my ears._I can't breathe… Can't breathe…_

I gasped and air filled my lungs. My eyes flew open as I sat up. I didn't recognize my surroundings. "Hello?" I felt like I was forgetting something. It nagged at the back of my confused mind. I had to remember it, though I didn't understand why.

I looked around. "This looks like a morgue," I commented to myself. Then I realized what I had said. "A morgue!" I jumped off a table and found that three other things were on the table. I slowly slid off the sheet covering three other somethings. _Please, please don't be bodies…_

The sheet was covering the bodies of my sisters. They were breathing, though. Why were we in the morgue? I took a deep breath and yelled, "Wake up!"

"Jesus! You don't have to yell. We can hear you just fine," Prue grumbled and sat up. Horror filled her eyes as she looked around. "Phoebe, we're in a morgue!"

"Morgue? Don't be silly," Paige said.

"This is a morgue…" Piper said, rubbing her eyes. "We're in a morgue."

We all screamed. A woman came running into the room. She screamed when she saw us. "Oh my God, you're dead! Why are you walking around? You're dead!"

"We're not dead. There must have been a mistake," Piper responded.

"You've been dead for days," the woman said as she backed away.

"We have not!"

The woman fainted.

"Okay, that was screwed up," I said. "Let's get out of here." We apparated home.

The sound of screaming was the first thing to greet us.

"This is getting annoying," Piper muttered. "Molly, calm down. Chris, get that look off your face. Leo, what _is_ that look?"

The three of them stared at us unbelievingly.

"Leo," Prue slowly started, "why were we in the morgue?"

"You're dead," Leo said. "Well, you were dead."

"What? We were not dead." I wasn't sure whether to laugh or to scream. Why did everyone think we were dead?

"At the meeting, you… well, died," Molly said. "Phoebe, you changed and gave a message to Dumbledore. Then all of you rose up into the air."

"What do you mean by changed?" I asked.

"Your eyes changed color. Your hair turned black and you all went pale. Then you fell down and…. died."

"Oh. Well, we're not dead."

"I think Dumbledore has some explaining to do," Prue said.

* * *

**Paige **

"So no one knows why we died? There was no cause, no reason…. We just died?" I asked. We had been talking with Leo for a long time. Apparently we had been dead for five days.

"Yeah. You weren't supposed to die. We have no idea why this happened," Leo said.

"Don't the Elders control this stuff? What happened?" Phoebe and Prue had given up on asking questions and had slipped into their own worlds. Piper was spending time with Wyatt. He had been most upset when she had died.

"We really don't know. We have an idea, but we can't be sure."

"What's your idea?"

"We think that our time path was changed when you left the wizarding world," Leo explained. "You weren't meant to leave the wizarding world. Something was changed while you were still there. That affected everything."

"Interesting. Do you know what that event is?"

"No."

"So, should we try to figure it out?" I questioned.

"Yes, for your own safety."

"Great. You going now?"

"Yeah. You should get some sleep."

"I've been dead for five days. I think I've gotten enough sleep."

He orbed out.

"I am so tired of this bag of riddles. Why can't we just be normal?" I complained.

"Well, Phoebe seems to know a lot," Prue said.

Phoebe arched her eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You went into a trance and said some weird stuff. Do you remember, Paige?"

I shook my head. "No. All I can remember is going to the meeting. Everything else is just a blank."

"The medium, the mystic, the mother, and the master," Prue said. "Those are our titles. At least, that's what I think. That's the only part I remember."

"I'd really rather not think about this," I said. "I was dead. I think I'll take a break right now."

"Yeah, I think I will too. Pheebs?"

"Yeah. Coming back to life sure makes you feel weird. I'm not sure I'll ever feel normal again."

"How normal can you be?"

"Hey!"

* * *

"Paige, watch out for that vase!" Piper called.

"Ow!"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine," I said as I rubbed the back of my head. Things were flying around, all trying to get into the box first.

"Now cut that out!" Piper called. "You're not competing!"

"Is this your spell?"

"No, it's Phoebe's. She always makes them competitive. She thinks it's entertaining. Of course, almost everything ends up broken." She put extra emphasis on the last words, but Phoebe was nowhere to be found. "She said something about being a terrible mother. Do you know what that's about?"

"Nope. She isn't even a mother yet. Speaking of that, who do you think is going to be the father of Phoebe's son?"

"I don't know. It's probably Jason."

"Are they really that serious?" I wondered.

"I didn't think so, but after that vision… It seems more likely. Stop beating up the teacups, you stupid teapot! _Mora_!" The tea set froze and turned to Piper. "Now, get into the box." They obediently did.

"Good morning," Harry yawned as he came down the stairs. The sight of everything flying around was enough to wake him up. "Packing?"

"Yup. Prue will be taking care of the bedrooms once she gets up."

"That might not happen for a while," Piper said with a smile.

"Ah," I said knowingly. "What's his name?"

"Kingsley Shacklebolt. I'll make breakfast. Paige, make sure everything gets packed."

Harry followed Piper into the kitchen, leaving me alone. A frying pan or plate would occasionally float out. Other than that, it was a quiet morning.

Then Prue got up.

* * *

"Oh mother!" Prue sang as she descended the stairs many hours later.

"Are you referring to me?" Piper asked. "If you are, what is wrong with you?"

Prue's face fell. "You don't remember either?"

"Remember what?"

"Phoebe's trance."

"I'm drawing a blank," Piper said.

"Piper," Prue said and rolled her eyes. "You're the mother."

"Fascinating. And you are?"

"I'm either the mystic or the master."

"You're the master," I said. "So I must be the mystic."

"Phoebe's definitely the medium," Prue said.

"Where is she? She came back for five minutes, then left again."

"She took Harry out for a lesson."

"It is a nice day. Plus, the house is empty and so depressing." I motioned towards the bare walls.

"We're getting off the subject," Prue said.

"You're right. We should be talking about Kingsley," I said. "When did you start dating him?"

"We need to do some research," Prue continued.

"On what?"

"The great witches of our past. We have to find one with four aspects. Her name is likely going to begin with 'm'."

"You have fun with that," Piper said.

"You're not going to help?"

"I have a wedding to plan and we have to move."

"Oh please. It'll take us two seconds to move."

I scanned Piper. She was looking a little paler than usual. "Are you feeling okay, Piper? You don't look so good."

"I'm feeling fine. It's probably just a result of coming back to life."

I didn't think so. She seemed rather sickly. In fact, she had seemed like that for a while. "Piper, maybe you should go to the doctor."

"I feel just fine," she protested.

The front door opened. "We're back," Phoebe called and came into the room. "I see you did the packing. Has everything been sent over?" A peculiar look overcame Phoebe. "Piper, are you okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking…" She stopped. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and ran from the room.

"Oh baby."

"You nailed it."


	7. Harry James Potter Halliwell

**Prue**

"_What are you doing?" Lily asked._

"_Finding the spell. Ah, here it is." I closed my eyes, calling to my sisters. _

_They walked in. "What is it, Prue?"_

"_The Blood Bond."_

"_Sounds mysterious. What is it?"_

"_It's a spell that allows two or more people to have a connection closer to blood. It will give Lily the protection of the Charmed Ones. Also, if you have kids, they will have greater powers. Don't ask me why, but I know that something is going to happen to you, Lily, one day. This is just a precaution."_

"_How does it work?"_

"_You form a circle and call upon the protection of our blood. Then you chant these words three times: olo memente, hasti ifre. Ready?"_

"_We call upon the bloodline of the Halliwells!"_

"_Olo memente, hasti ifre. Olo memente, hasti ifre. Olo memente, hasti ifre!"_

I awoke with a jerk. The dream… The memory. Ever since we had returned to the wizarding world, I had been dreaming of Lily and James. My memories of them haunted me.

I slipped out of bed, knowing that it was useless to try to fall asleep again. Instead I decided to wander the new house. We had been there for a few days, but it was going take some getting used to. _Everything will._

Someone was in the kitchen. It was Piper.

"What are you doing up so late?"

"I was hungry," she said as she sprayed some whipped cream on chocolate ice cream.

"Hungry at midnight?"

"Yup. I just had a craving for some ice cream."

I eyed her. "Have you gone to the doctor yet?"

"I don't need a doctor. Cravings are a normal part of life."

"Not your life. You're always so in control."

"So are you, but that doesn't stop you from doing some unusual stuff," she replied.

"Touché. I just think that you could be pregnant."

"No. I haven't been nauseous except for that one day. With Wyatt, nausea was a constant battle."

"Better safe than sorry."

"Why are _you _up?" Piper asked.

I looked out the window. "I had a dream about them. Every night, I see them. I always see them." Their faces flashed before my eyes. "If we had stayed, do you think… Do you think they would be alive?"

"I don't know. Leo said that we were supposed to be there, so I guess something happened. Maybe they were meant to be alive."

"That something sounds a lot like Voldemort's work. If we figure that out, I think everything will fall into place." We were silent for a while. "My dream was about the Blood Bond. Closer than blood… I thought that only applied to the blood protection. Now I think that it turned us into something closer than family."

"Meaning?"

"Lily's blood flows in our veins, our blood flows in Harry's veins," I explained. "The blood protection is kept alive because of our bond. I think the spell also gave Harry his power."

"Should we tell him?"

"No. He's got enough on his plate. He's very talented."

She nodded. "He's doing really well on his training. He has James's talent and Lily's determination. He doesn't realize it, though."

"He will eventually. Oh, this came for you today." I handed her a letter.

She opened it. "Daffodils? I wanted roses! One red rose, eleven white roses. Is that so hard?" She scribbled a reply. "I knew I should have gone with the old florist. Er, I'll have to change to deliver the letter."

"Your animal form is an owl?"

"Yeah. Want to see?"

"Yes," I replied. "When did you become an animagus, anyway?"

"In my sixth year. Remember how Phoebe said that I had a secret?"

"That was what it was?"

She smiled. "Phoebe's quite the empath." She shrank down and changed into an owl. She stuck out her leg.

I studied her new form. She made a few noises that seemed to imply that she wanted me to attach the letter to her leg. "Sorry. I was just a little surprised," I said as I tied the letter to her leg. She skillfully flew out the window. "Hmm."

I continued to wander the house. _When Piper comes back, I'll have to tell her that she has an appointment with the doctor. She won't be too happy, but it's for her own good. I really should get to bed; tomorrow's my first day back at the Ministry. I don't know what I'll dream, though. _Part of me looked forward to them—this I knew. I also knew that I couldn't keep remembering all these things. They were so sweet, but they were bitter too.

_How many times did I have James in detention? Too many to count. He drove me crazy with his pranks, but they were always harmless. He was such a good man. And Lily… You couldn't find a kinder person. She was an angel on Earth. They should be alive now. They should, but they're not. Life isn't fair. _

I paused before Harry's door. _He has been handed such a heavy destiny. If his parents were alive, would he have this destiny? Of course, it could have to do with my spell. Nothing's for sure anymore. _

I sighed and went back to bed.

* * *

"_This isn't right, Prue," James said._

"_I know, I know," I sighed._

"_You have to bring them back."_

"_I can't. You know how Phoebe is. She won't come back."_

"_What about Piper?"_

"_She's as stubborn as Phoebe."_

"_What about Remus and Sirius? Phoebe loves Sirius; Piper loves Remus."_

"_Not anymore, I guess."_

"_Are you leaving?"_

"_I have no choice. The Power of Four will die if we're separated. I'd rather stay, but I can't."_

"_What about Voldemort?"_

"_Dumbledore will keep us posted. We'll do all that we can to defeat him."_

"_I have a bad feeling about this."_

"_We'll be able to apparate to England any time. Be sure to tell us when the baby's born."_

"_How did you know about that?"_

"_I just know these things. Goodbye, James."_

* * *

"Welcome back, Prudence. It's your lucky day. We've got a live one," Rachel said.

"What is it?"

"A kid turned her father into a pigeon."

"Oh. Any witnesses?"

"One muggle. John will take care of him. You get to reverse the spell."

"As for you?"

"I'll handle the girl."

I was back with the old team: John, Rachel, Lena, and Catty. The only one who had left was Demi. She had decided to work in a different part of the Ministry. John was still outnumbered by girls.

"Is it safe to apparate?" I asked.

"Yes. John, Catty, Lena, get over here."

The three put down their paperwork and came over. "Let's go."

_CRACK._ "Oh, thank God! You're the Reversal Squad, right?" a nervous woman asked.

"Yes," I confirmed. "Where is he?"

She went into the other room and came back with a pigeon. "My daughter was fighting with him, then…"

"Don't worry. We'll have him right in a jiffy."

"I'd like to talk to your daughter," Rachel said.

The woman quickly said, "It was an accident."

"We're not going to punish her," said Rachel. "I'd just like to talk with her."

The woman walked over to the stairs. "Amanda!"

A young girl, probably about thirteen, timidly came down the stairs. "Mom, I'm really sorry." She spotted us. "Who are these people?" She looked like she wanted to run back up the stairs.

"The Accidental Magic Reversal Squad," Rachel said. "I'd like to talk to you, Amanda."

She went off to do her part while I did my part.

"_Informata decant._" The pigeon began to grow and became a man. The woman flew over to him.

"Miss, we'll have to check him over," Lena said.

"Of course."

Catty and I were the ones who undid the spells. Lena was the one who made sure there was no damage. John specialized in modifying memories. We worked well together.

It was a rather short call. We moved onto two other calls involving an engorgement charm and a freezing spell. I loved my job.

* * *

After all the calls, there were always piles of paperwork. _It's going to be a late night, _I thought as I sat down at my desk.

A few hours in the work, my cell phone rang. Lena was the only one who understood the muggle items that I carried around. Everyone else thought I was crazy for living so much like a muggle. "Hello?"

"We have a problem. Phoebe is missing," Piper's voice said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's gone. We're trying to scry for her, but we're not doing too well so far. Can you come home?"

"Yeah. I'm almost done with my paperwork."

"Good. Oh, two more things: Chris might be missing too and I'm pregnant."

"What?"

A loud click announced that she had hung up. _Okay, don't worry too much. Knowing Phoebe, there's probably little need to worry… Still, after the incident with Cearbhall… And what about Chris? I haven't seen him in a while, but he's always disappearing. _

I finished the paperwork and hurriedly got home. "I'm home! Where are you?"

"Phoebe's room!" came Paige's responding call.

I bounded up the stairs and burst into Phoebe's room. Harry, Paige, and Piper were sitting around a map.

"Teaching Harry how to scry?" I asked.

"Yup," Piper said. "It's a very useful skill."

"And no luck so far?"

She shook her head. "It's like she just disappeared."

"She hasn't gone to Valhalla, has she?"

"Not likely."

"Do you think she's in the Underworld?"

Piper sighed. "That seems likely. But we can't just pop into the Underworld."

I thought. "I might be able to find her. But you have to do something for me."

"What?"

"Frustrate me. Don't ask why. Just do it."

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"You know what drives me crazy."

Paige seemed to know what to say. "Phoebe's going back to the old ways. She disappeared just to run off with her old crowd."

Piper caught on. "She's abandoning her Charmed duties. She doesn't care about them anymore."

"More," I said.

"She took the Book with her."

"She might be trying to revive Cole."

"She's made it so that we can't contact Grams or anyone else."

The frustration grew. I concentrated on my telepathy.

I was chained to the wall in the dank darkness of the Underworld. "Cearbhall," Phoebe said hoarsely. "How could you do this?"

"Simple. While you were debating, I cast a spell on you. It allowed me to bring you back here. My master will be most pleased."

She spoke some colorful words.

"You'll come around soon."

"Prue?"

My eyes snapped open. I was back, but I still felt like part of me was somewhere else.

"I know where she is."

"Where?"

"Cearbhall's domain. That's where Phoebe is."

* * *

**Piper **

"No," I told Harry firmly. "You are not coming. Cearbhall is one of the many demons that follow Voldemort. He won't hesitate to take you too. Why would you want to go?"

"Experience isn't a good excuse for getting yourself kidnapped," Prue said. "Just stay here. Watch Wyatt. And yes, I know that you don't know how to handle babies. We won't be gone long."

Harry was slowly getting used to us—and Prue's habit of reading minds. He was a lot like his mother. That was a relief. Another young James would be a little too much for us.

"Call Leo if any demons drop by," I said.

"Yes, we are taking over the mother slot rather well, aren't we?" Prue said.

"Definitely."

"Well, someone has to. We'll be back soon. If we aren't—"

"Call Leo," he finished.

"You're good."

"_Bring us to the one, bring us to where she might dwell, lead us to her prison, whether it's heaven or hell._"

A crackling energy engulfed us and led us to the domain of Cearbhall. I couldn't see anything. "_Epinige_," I whispered. The cave lit up, revealing the two figures of Phoebe and Chris. They were unconscious and in bad shape.

Paige healed them while Prue and I tried to free them.

"You can't free them."

I whirled around and saw Cearbhall.

"This is a nice situation. I have all the Charmed Ones and the third child."

"Why did you take Chris?"

"He tried to protect her. I couldn't have him orbing her out of here, now could I?"

Prue and I held up the vanquishing potions. "I give you two choices. You can either free them or you can bite the dust. Which would you prefer?"

He laughed. "You cannot kill me."

"I think we can."

"If you kill me, you will doom them to death." He held up a dagger. We got ready to attack, but he didn't try anything. Instead, he just cut his hand. "Look."

Two long cuts formed on Phoebe's and Chris's hands.

"You sick—" Prue started to snarl.

"You kill me, you kill them. You have no choice but to give yourself to the Dark Lord. And don't bother trying to call for the Elder. He can't hear you. You're trapped."

"They're not trapped," Phoebe said. Her eyes burned with contempt.

"Phoebe, what—"

"You have to kill me. It's the only way," she said.

I stared her dumbly for a moment. "No. We won't."

"You have to. You knew that this was the only way, Cearbhall. A nice suicide mission."

"If I have to die, that's just fine."

"Do it, Prue," Phoebe said.

"No."

"You have to!"

"This scene is very touching, but if I can avoid death, I will." He made a sign in the air. Paige and Prue fell to the ground, screaming. "Demons don't need a wand to perform the Cruciatus curse." He waved his hand and my sisters went limp. He turned to me. "Or the Imperius curse." He made another sign in the air.

I felt the spell hit me. But I was completely conscious. I could feel everything. _Kill your sister. Kill her._

"Nice try, Cearbhall. But you should know that I can't be controlled."

"Fine. A little more pain for your sisters… And the boy."

Their screams of agony filled my ears. I couldn't stand it…

The vanquishing potion flew out of my hands and connected with Phoebe. "NO!" my voice screamed.

* * *

"Piper! Piper, it's okay," Prue said.

I shook my head wildly. "No, no, no. I killed Phoebe. She's dead! Oh, God." I had blanked out after I had thrown the potion. I felt nauseous and lightheaded. I couldn't even see Prue's face.

"If this is death, it's pretty okay."

"Phoebe?" I whispered, barely daring to hope.

"You know it is."

I jumped up and wrapped my arms around her. "But that vanquishing potion should have done it."

"Cearbhall pulled out when you threw the potion. Since the potion was created especially for him, it couldn't harm me."

"But he is dead, right?"

"Yeah. Prue threw the potion at him. He's gone."

"What spell did he use, anyway?"

"A spell that would increase my empathy…." Her eyes flicked to Chris. "And, apparently, Chris's empathy."

"Chris?" I turned to him. "You're empathic?"

He avoided my gaze. "Yes."

"Where'd that come from?" I asked carefully.

"You know that I can't tell you that."

Prue and Phoebe looked at him significantly.

"How are we going to get out of here? We can't orb or apparate," Paige said, breaking the silence.

"That is a problem. We could isolate the spell around this place, then figure out how to take it off," Phoebe said as she eyed the cave.

"That's an awfully tedious task," Paige said, wrinkling her nose.

"Well, we have to," Prue said. "What's that?"

A white light was coming towards us. We backed away, but there was nowhere to go. The light touched us and we were temporarily blinded by its brilliance.

When it ended, we were in the attic.

"We're home," Paige said.

"Return to me spell, Harry?" Phoebe asked, smiling.

That's when I noticed that Harry was in front of us. The Book was open in front of him. "Yeah. It's weird. It felt like someone was leading me up here."

"Hmm. Someone like Grams," Prue murmured.

"Prue, don't get into that," I said.

"If he's able to use spells in the Book, then I'm right," she said. "Everyone else has been holding out on him."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"You know how muggles sometimes mark their closeness by sharing their blood?" Prue began.

"Yes."

"Well, there's a magical way to do that. My sisters and I did that with your mother. We literally connected our blood."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You have Halliwell blood in your veins. You share our family's purpose and powers. That's why you have such great powers."

"I know this is a lot to handle, but we had to give you an explanation. We'll be downstairs if you need us," Phoebe said and led us out of the room.

"Phoebe, shouldn't we talk more with him?" I said.

"No. He needs to be alone so that he can sort things out. That's how he is."

I glanced back. "You're sure?"

"That's what I felt. Besides, we have to ask you a few questions."

I had a feeling that I knew what she was talking about. "Do you mean…"

"The fact that you're pregnant?" Phoebe said. "Yes."

"I'm pregnant. What more is there to say?"

"Oh, congratulations, Piper! Have you told Remus yet?"

"Not yet. I will soon, though."

"Tomorrow," said Phoebe. "You'll tell him tomorrow."

"You certainly know how to take control of a situation."

"It's a talent. How's the wedding doing?"

"Very well. Magical weddings are much easier to plan."

"You gave up on the normal wedding?" Prue said.

"Yes. It got too complicated. So many people there are going to be witches and wizards, and they're not so good at pretending to be muggles."

"Wait," said Paige, looking around. "Where did Chris go?"

"He was with us when we got here," I said.

"Dang it," Prue muttered. "We'd better do a return to me spell."

Phoebe was smiling for some reason. "We don't have to. He's in the attic."

"The attic?"

"Having a heart-to-heart with Harry. I can sense him."

"Chris just got more complicated," I commented.

"Not really," Phoebe disagreed. "Chris is a good person, even if he is secretive."

"We all have our secrets," said Paige.

"And I'm the one who keeps all our secrets. Aren't you so glad that you all have me as an older sister?" Prue said.

"Sure, Prue."

"Oh yeah. We need to cast a protection spell over the house. There's a perfect one in the Book."

Piece by piece, things were beginning to fall into place. If we could just find the key, we could discover what it all meant… Eventually.


	8. The Werewolf's Song

**Phoebe **

"Hey, DJ," I said in a purr. I was at the Ministry. I had tried to deny it, but I really wanted to become an auror. I was made for it.

"Phoebe?" Diamond asked.

"You know it. I'm back to complete my auror training. I've been trying to keep up my column, but it's not the same anymore. So I've returned."

"Are you serious?"

I smiled. "Have I ever been the joking type?"

"Moody will be pleased."

"So you're back, Halliwell?" Moody said in his growling voice.

"Yes sir," I responded. "I want to be an auror."

Moody eyed me. "You're in it for the long haul this time?"

"Yes. I'm ready to train."

"I daresay that you don't have to go through the training. You're ready for the test now."

"Really?"

"You completed almost all of your training, and for the last few years, you've been fighting all types of evil. Well?"

"I'd love to take the test." I was definitely ready. I had often used my auror training in battles with demons, so it was still fresh in my mind. "Let's do this thing."

* * *

"I am officially an auror," I announced in a lofty voice. "Aren't you so proud?"

"That's great! When did you complete your training?" Piper asked as she busied herself in the kitchen.

"I didn't have to. I just took the test and passed with flying colors. Moody was pleased… Of course, I can never tell when that man is pleased." I grinned. "I'm going to be bringing the baddies to justice."

"Sounds like fun."

"Most assuredly." I sat down. My hand went automatically to the ring that hung on a gold necklace on my neck. I fingered the ring while I thought. "I've been thinking about that spirit."

"Spirit?"

"The one that talked through me. I think that it may have been Melinda."

"It's possible," Piper said.

"We could try to summon her spirit and ask."

Piper smirked. "Only in our family."

"Also, I think I know who Chris's parents are."

Piper whirled around. "Really?"

"Yeah. I checked around, and there's apparently a whitelighter named Michael Perry. I don't know if he's having an affair with a witch, though. Leo tells me that he has been disappearing lately."

"Whoa. You solved two of our mysteries?"

"I don't have much evidence yet. These are just theories." I continued to finger the ring. My thoughts were drifting away from my theories. Piper noticed. "How's the wedding coming?" I asked before she could say anything.

"Wonderfully. Everything is set for the big day. I can't believe I'm getting married in six days. I can't wait until the fifth." A dreamy look came over her face.

_That's a good way to distract her._ "And what about tomorrow?"

"Oh, that's all ready." She frowned slightly.

"What?"

"Well, when I asked Harry whether he wanted cake or brownies for his birthday, he was so surprised. His aunt and uncle never cared enough about him to recognize his birthday. I wish we had been there."

"So do I," I sighed. "Jason's coming to town."

"You don't seem very excited."

"I honestly don't know how to feel about him."

"What do you mean?"

"I just don't feel with him…"

"What you felt with Sirius," Piper finished.

I nodded. "But I can't compare them. Sirius was… I can't even describe him. I keep expecting Jason to be a good as him."

"If you feel like this, maybe you should break it off before Jason gets hurt," Piper said softly.

"Maybe."

"Should we tell Chris what we know?"

"Probably not," I said. "He seems to freak out whenever we find out more about him."

"Yeah." She seemed very happy.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Life is feeling good. I'm getting married, I'm going to have a baby, and I'm back in my old job…. Everything is going so well."

"Yeah." _It's getting better._

* * *

"Four days. Four days!"

We were up in the attic, waiting for Prue to bring Harry. "Okay, Piper, you are way too hyper," I said. "You have to calm down so that Harry will be able to ask us questions."

"I'll try, but four days!"

Paige was staring out the window. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

The attic door opened, and Prue came in with Harry. "Hey, y'all. The meeting can now begin."

"Fire away, Harry."

Harry had an interesting look on his face. "Why was I chosen to kill Voldemort?"

"Because you have Halliwell blood," Prue answered. "A small amount, of course, but that's enough to give you our powers. Though your abilities are not like ours, they are still powerful. You've displayed them in your training sessions."

"Why does everyone think that I have such great powers?"

I could feel his frustration. "Because you do. When you fight, you fight with all your heart. You can manipulate things in your own way. I know that's hard to understand, but you may be more in touch with your spirit's power than you know."

He partially understood what I meant. "Could I ask about Snape?"

I grimaced. "What do you want to know about him?"

"Well, you seem to have a problem with him. What's that all about?"

"That mostly revolves around Piper."

"What do you mean?"

I took in a deep breath. "Imagine what Piper was like when she was a teenager. She was quiet, withdrawn, studious… She was my complete opposite. Of course, she still is, but that's not the point. Lucius had a little gang all his own. One of his followers was Snape. Every year, those idiots would torture Piper. They couldn't beat her in dueling, so they resorted to words. At that time, those words really hurt her. On several occasions, I ended up attacking them… then I would get detention. Anyways, they really started to get on her case in our seventh year. She took it for a while. Then she kind of snapped.

"One day, Snape was saying some really terrible stuff about her. I swear, he was really in the zone." I frowned. "Well, she was taking it, as usual, then he started talking about our mother. I was about to kick his ass when Piper charged at him. She knocked him to the ground and started wailing on him. She broke his nose. He was a real mess. I was cheering her on when Paige came along. She had become a mini Prue by then, so she broke it up and healed the little dickhead."

None of my sisters bothered to admonish me.

"After that, they stopped bothering her. They were afraid of her. But I always felt the hate from them. I don't like Snape at all. He's not a nice man." I stopped. "But I don't feel evil in him. He still hates us, but he won't betray us."

"Why does he hate you?" Harry asked.

"It's such a stupid reason, but he hates our strength. He hates the fact that we have so much power. He feels that we don't deserve it. How does he treat you?"

"Erm… Like we're enemies. He hates me."

"Because of your father, I'd assume," Piper said.

"Yeah. I saw what happened."

"You mean you saw the fifth year?" I said. "How?"

"Pensieve. Everybody… everybody says that my father was so great, but… how could he be so wonderful if he did that?"

"Snape was in direct conflict with James as well as us. Our fifth year was the worst. I'm not going to try to defend what he did. James knew what he was doing. It was wrong. But your father was a good man. He saved our skins a number of times. Fifteen just happened to be a bad year for all the Marauders. James didn't have Lily, Remus didn't have me, and Sirius didn't have Phoebe. They were all hormones," Piper said. "I can't believe that Snape still isn't over that."

"I can. Snape has always been full of pride. How does he treat you in Potions?" Prue questioned.

"He makes it as difficult as possible."

"As I expected. We could teach you about potions. Snape probably did it all wrong."

"You'd really do that?"

"Of course. Believe it or not, we actually like you."

A rush of familiar energy filled me. "Jason's here."

"Jason? I thought he wasn't coming until later," Prue said.

"So did I. I'll be back in a jiffy." I slowly descended the stairs. Jason was there, waiting. "Jason, you're early."

"Yeah. I couldn't wait." He took my hand and got down on one knee.

_Whoa! What is he doing?_

"Phoebe, I'm in love with you. I know we haven't been able to see each other much, but I know that we're meant to be together. I want to spend my life with you. Will you marry me?" He revealed a diamond ring.

"Jason, I…"

* * *

"I call upon Melinda's soul, I ask her to appear to me, show yourself, let me see." The candles flickered out. "Grr. Fine then. Don't appear." I closed the book. I couldn't say that I hadn't expected that the spell wouldn't work. I wasn't focusing on the spell at all. I was pondering Jason's proposal. He was in love with me. Was I in love with him?

Somehow I ended up in the living room, where Piper was sitting with Wyatt. "I couldn't get her spirit to appear," I tried to say. It came out, "How can you see into my eyes like open doors?"

"What?"

"Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb without a soul. My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold until you find it there and lead it back home." Why was I talking in Evanescence lyrics?

"Phoebe, you're not making any sense."

"I know," I tried to say, but it came out, "Wake me up inside. Wake me up inside."

"Is this some weird joke?" Piper asked.

"Call my name and save me from the dark. Bid my blood to run before I come undone. Save me from the nothing I've become."

"Paige, Phoebe's talking in lyrics."

"Now don't just walk away pretending everything's okay and you don't care about me." Paige seemed to have lost control over her ability to speak also.

"You too?"

"I know it's just no use when all your lies become your truths and I don't care." Paige grabbed a pad of paper and scribbled a note.

Piper read the note, then looked up to Paige. "You can't talk normally?"

"Could you look me in the eye and tell me that you're happy now?" Paige said and nodded.

"Is that a Michelle Branch song?"

"Would you tell it to my face? Or have I been erased. Are you happy now?" she said and nodded again.

"Chill out. What cha yelling for?" Prue said. She looked surprised. "Lay back. It's all been done before."

Piper looked at each one of us. "You're all taking in song lyrics?"

We all responded using different lyrics.

"I'm guessing that that's a yes. What… Oh." She looked off into the other room. "The werewolf's song," she whispered. "This must be the spirit's sign."

"You mean Melinda? Hey, I can talk!" I declared.

"Much better," Paige said.

Prue questioned, "What's the werewolf's song?"

"Nothing," Piper said quickly. But I could sense that she was excited.

"Go to him," I whispered.

"Yes," she murmured.

We all watched her disapparate. We looked at each other and shrugged.

* * *

"Hey, little man," I cooed as I picked up Wyatt. "You are such a cutie."

"What happened with Jason?" Prue asked from the doorway. "You keep broadcasting his name in your mind."

I hesitated before I answered, "He proposed."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. I didn't have an answer."

"Why?" she inquired.

"I just don't know if I'm ready."

"Hmm… Are you being completely honest with yourself?" Prue asked gently.

"You know me too well. I guess I'm afraid that he can never be as good as Sirius. I think I love him, but…"

"Think? Phoebe, you have better be sure before you get deeper into this relationship. And no spells."

"I wasn't going to use a spell," I said innocently.

"I've heard that one before," Prue said with a smirk.

**

* * *

Paige**

A scream shattered my peaceful dreams. I groggily got up and ran towards the source.

"I can't get them to stop!" Prue yelled.

"_Stupefy_!" Phoebe called.

"They won't respond to spells."

"Prue? Phoebe? What's going on?" I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and found that everything in Prue's room was flying around. As I watched, Phoebe gave an "argh!" of annoyance and surprise as she was lifted up and pressed up against the ceiling.

"Is this levitation or you?" Prue asked.

"I'm not sure. Where's Piper?"

"I'm right here. What the—" She flicked her fingers. Everything exploded. "Oops. Well, at least it all stopped."

"My bedroom's a mess!" Prue moaned.

"We'll fix it." There was quite a lot to fix, though. I began to swish my wand around, putting the room back in order.

"Hello?" Phoebe said. "I'm still stuck up here!"

"It must be your levitation, then."

Phoebe kicked and struggled, but she was stuck. She crossed her arms in an annoyed way.

"What the heck happened?" Piper asked.

"I had a dream about losing our powers," Prue said. "When I opened my eyes, everything started to fly around the room. It's like my telekinesis went crazy."

"Oof!" Phoebe said as she landed heavily. "I hate it when that happens."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, fine."

"We should all get back to bed. Prue, be careful with that telekinesis."

"Yeah."

* * *

It seemed barely a few minutes later that something else awoke me. I groaned. "Now what?" The house was silent. I didn't understand why I had woken up.

A strong feeling pulled me up and to Harry's room. "What's wrong?"

He was sitting up, looking most confused. "I had a dream about Voldemort. Wait. How did you know?"

"I can sense these things," I explained. "I guess it's a part of being part whitelighter. Now, was the dream like the other ones?"

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "I didn't see it from Voldemort's view. I was watching from the side. I didn't feel what he felt."

"Anything else?"

"Well, it felt more like it was going to happen, not like it was going on. In all the others, I've always seen the present."

That sounded suspiciously like Phoebe's power. "Hmm… This may have nothing to do with your connection to Voldemort."

"What could it be?"

"It might be a premonition."

"Premonition? Like with Phoebe?"

"Yes," I said. "You do have Halliwell blood, after all. What did you see?"

"I saw him sending Wormtail to steal Wyatt and Phoebe's son."

"Well, that won't be happening for a while. We'll take care of it." I paused, then remembered the other thing that would provide a clue or two. "How's your scar?"

"Fine," Harry said. "It didn't hurt at all."

"Then it must have been a premonition," I confirmed. "Try to get some sleep."

He nodded.

_His powers are much greater than we thought._

* * *

"Damn it!" Piper swore.

"Piper, what's wrong?" I asked.

"My powers have gone crazy. Everything I touch either explodes, freezes, or turns invisible. I woke up with my bed invisible. I've been trying to cook breakfast, but I seem to have the Midas touch."

"I'll make breakfast," I said. "You just sit down and try not to touch anything."

"How are your powers doing?"

"Well, my powers really can do much harm."

"The memory modification can."

"I don't think I'll have a problem."

"Well, be careful," Piper said.

Phoebe walked into the room yawning. When she saw me at the stove, she smirked. "Paige, you're cooking breakfast?"

"I don't think I like that tone, Phoebe," I said, glaring at her.

"Well, you've never actually succeeded at making anything more complicated than cereal."

"Ouch. Okay, you may have a point, but I am going to make a nice breakfast."

"Muggle way?"

"You know I can't. One magical breakfast coming up."

"Magical breakfast?" Prue came down wearing a suit. "Why isn't Piper cooking?"

"Everything she touches blows up," I said.

"You too?"

"Yup. Paige hasn't been affected yet."

"Yet?" I said. "You think I will be affected?"

"Yes," they replied in unison.

"Why are you wearing a suit, Prue?" I asked, catching her eye.

"I—" Her face became blank. "What?"

"Paige, you erased her memory," said Piper. "Did I tell you, or did I tell you?"

"Yeah, yeah," I grumbled. "I'm sorry, Prue."

"For what?" she asked dreamily.

"You'd better put on some sunglasses or something," Phoebe said.

"Right." I summoned a pair and put them on. "Prue, do you remember what you have to do today?"

"Um… I have to… Huh. I don't know."

"Wait, I know. You're meeting with that foreign guy, what's-his-name," Phoebe supplied.

"Throgmorton Lefkowitz," Prue said automatically. She turned to face me. "Did you just erase my memory?"

"Accidentally. Oh, Harry had a premonition last night."

"A premonition?" Phoebe repeated.

"Yes."

"Wow."

"Do you think he has any other powers? What?" Prue put a hand to her head. "You three are thinking an awful lot. I can't…" She closed her eyes. A few things rose up into the air, then crashed down to the floor. "Now my telepathy is acting up. What's going on?"

"Well, you said that the spirit was going to give us more power," I said. "Maybe this is a side effect."

"Well, this sucks."

Phoebe gasped and closed her eyes. That repeated a few more times. "I don't need to see every future moment," she said irritably. "Or," she winced, "every feeling floating around."

"Well I am not going to let this stop me," Prue said. "I have to leave."

"We all do. Where is…"

Chris orbed in.

"Chris. Where have you been?" Piper asked.

"Up there. The Elders are trying to figure out what happened and why you're getting more power."

"You mean they're clueless?"

"Yes. They're grateful, though."

"Why?"

"Voldemort's stronger than they expected," Chris said.

"Did this happen in your past?" I asked.

"No. In my future,you died, allowing Voldemort to destroy the remaining Charmed Ones."

"Ah. Well, we'll see you later," I said.

We all went off to where we needed to be.

* * *

"Paige, thank God you're here," Amy said. She looked completely frazzled. "We've got a problem."

"What is it?" I asked.

"A muggle found something really strange. We need you to check it out."

"Isn't that for another department?"

"Yes, but everyone decided that it would be best if you took care of it. You're better versed at this stuff," Amy said.

"Okay. Where is it?"

"Just outside of London. What's up with the sunglasses?"

"My power's acting up. I'll be back soon."

I landed in the exact area. There was no one around.

I could feel the power. It was a pulse in the air. It was all around me. I breathed it in, and it made feel a little dizzy. I carefully felt for the source. I found it and went over to it.

A silvery light shone up from under a rock. I knelt down and uncovered the source of the light. As I watched, the light changed to an image. I gasped. "A time rift. This could show me everything."

Suddenly, a fiery pain shot through my body. I cried out; my eyes went automatically to the problem. An arrowhead was sticking out of my shoulder. Blood was pouring out of my wound. It was tinted slightly by the poisons that had been added to the arrow.

"Darklighter's arrow… with an added touch," a voice rang in my ear.

The pain was terrible. With my last ounce of strength, I orbed home.

"Paige!" was the last thing I heard before I passed out.


	9. Wedding Spells

**Prue **

"Hey, don't touch it. What's wrong with you?" I slapped Chris's hand away. "How do I do this, Leo?"

"You have to push the arrowhead out," Leo told me. "Then you have to break it off and pull out the arrow shaft."

"Oh, is that all?" I took a hold of the arrow and, wincing, pushed it through. Paige gasped and went tense. "Sorry," I whispered and broke off the arrowhead. Wincing even more, I pulled out the arrow shaft. "Okay. Now heal her."

The wound disappeared, but Paige still didn't look so hot.

"She doesn't look so good. What's happening to her?" I looked Paige over. She was shivering, but she was running a temperature. What was wrong with her? The wound from the darklighter arrow had healed, so why was she still ill?

"There was something else on the arrow." Leo frowned. "I can't figure out what it is."

"Phoebe, do you think you could see what it is?"

She nodded and picked up the arrowhead. I immediately noticed the beautiful diamond engagement ring. I looked at her quizzically. She pretended to not have noticed, though she turned her hand away so that I couldn't see the ring. I searched her neck for Sirius's ring, but she wasn't wearing it.

She breathed in sharply.

"What is it?"

"It's the essence of an assassin," Phoebe said. "It's taking away her whitelighter identity."

"But all her powers come from her whitelighter side. If she loses it…" Piper trailed off. We all knew what would happen.

I took Paige's clammy hand into my hand. "Leo, what can we do?" I asked.

"Try to use the power of sisterhood. If that doesn't work…"

"Then nothing will," Piper said. "I'd better postpone the wedding."

"No, Piper, don't do that," Paige said as she weakly sat up.

"Paige, lie back down. You're very ill."

"I feel fine. I'm going to be up and about tomorrow. I just need a good night's sleep. I'm… I…" Her eyes slipped out of focus and she passed out.

_No… Can't let Piper postpone wedding… Must get better… Must get better… I will get better…_

Paige's body flickered with light. It lingered for a moment, then struggled and disappeared. Paige's shivering stopped. Her eyes opened. "I told you." She smirked in satisfaction. "You won't be postponing the wedding now."

"What…" Piper started. "Oh, forget it. I'm still checking you over, though."

"You're such a mother," Paige said and rolled her eyes. She continued to protest as Piper looked her over. "What's your verdict?"

"You're the picture of health. However, you're to go straight to bed."

"But it's so early!" Paige exclaimed.

"You were shot with a darklighter arrow. You need to rest," I said.

"You didn't make Chris rest when _he_ was shot," Paige pouted.

Piper and I pointed to the stairs.

"Oh, all right," she grumbled.

_She noticed, _Phoebe was thinking._ Now she's going to ask. What should I tell them?_

"Well, the truth would be a good place to start," I said.

Phoebe meekly looked down. "You heard that?"

"Loud and clear. You always broadcast your thoughts when you're troubled," I said. "I'm assuming that you accepted Jason's proposal."

A grin spread across her face. "Yes. I do love him."

"You do?" I softly asked.

Her smile became an angry scowl. "You know, I don't need this from you. Don't you think that I would make sure that I loved him before I accepted his proposal?" I had heard that tone many times before, mostly while we were at Hogwarts. If I said anything more, I knew that she would get angry and start yelling. I decided to take my chances.

"I only said that because you seemed so unsure before. If you're marrying him just because of your vision…"

"I'm marrying him because I love him! You all think that I can't love anyone else just because of what Sirius and I had. I love Sirius, but I love Jason too! Just get off my back!" she shouted.

"Phoebe, you haven't even told him the big bad secret," Piper pointed out.

"I will."

"When?"

She straightened up and crossed her arms. "That's my business."

"But Phoebe—"

"No. I'm going out." She disapparated.

"She had better be back tomorrow," Piper said through gritted teeth.

"Do you want me to go find her?" Leo asked.

"No. Just let her go."

"She might need you," Leo persisted.

"Phoebe's a grown woman," Piper said. "She can take care of herself."

"And she needs to," I put in. "She's going back to the old ways. I think she's smoking again. I wouldn't be surprised if she started hexing us again."

"Oh God. I cannot handle another teenage Phoebe."

"I doubt that she'll regress that far. As soon as she…" Leo abruptly stopped.

"As soon as she what?" I asked Leo sharply.

"I have to go." He orbed out.

"As usual, Leo knows more than we do," Piper said.

"And he's taken up the Elder's secrecy."

* * *

"Rise and shine! I'm getting married today!" Piper bounced onto my bed, waking me.

"I don't remember ordering a wake-up call," I said.

"Well, we have to get started. Get up!"

"How's Paige?"

"She's doing great."

"And Phoebe?"

Anger flittered across Piper's face. "She's still missing."

"What time is it?" I carefully asked.

"Almost seven. I don't think Phoebe's going to get here on time."

"Piper, I'm so sorry."

"It's Phoebe who should be sorry."

"She'll be here," I attempted to assure her, even though I didn't believe that Phoebe would come back. "She wouldn't miss your wedding."

"We both know that she would," Piper flatly said. "But I'm not going to let it bother me. If Phoebe wants to be a bitch, she can do that. I'm just glad I didn't pick her as my maid of honor."

"I could kick her butt when she comes home," I offered. "It's been a while, but I think I could do it."

Piper smiled. "It's not going to bother me."

I knew Piper. It would bother her and it did. But who was I to point that out? "Good. Well, we should probably get started."

"Yes." She jumped up excitedly. "Magic time."

* * *

I jumped into the shower, appreciating the fact that I didn't have to compete for a shower. A half an hour later, I pulled on a tank top and shorts and pulled my hair up into a ponytail. It was a relaxed look, but I would be changing out of it soon. The doorbell sounded, and I jogged down the stairs.

"No!" Paige cried and threw herself in front of the door.

I stared at her. "Throwing yourself on the bomb?"

"No. I mean, I'll get it."

"Really, it's no trouble." I telekinetically opened the door. "Hello, Anwen, Fae."

"Hey, Prue." They went off to the kitchen.

"Oh, it was just them." I noted the relief in her voice.

"And who were you expecting?"

"No one," Paige said quickly. "How about you go summon Mom and Grams and do the protection spells? I'll answer the door."

"Actually, I was thinking that you would do the spells. Unless you have a problem with that, of course."

"Well, you are more familiar with those spells…" Paige said.

"Why do you want me away from the door?" I inquired.

"I don't."

I was getting nowhere fast. "Fine. I'll do the spells."

"Thanks." _She would kill me if she knew. She'll find out eventually, but I'd like that to happen later._

I ignored the thought and went around the house, casting protection spells.

"Welcome. Just go through there," I heard Paige say. "Prue, the team is here!"

"Good!"

The door opened again.

_They're early._

"We wanted to help out. We heard that you lost your sister." I recognized that voice. But no… Why would the dwarves be back?

"We didn't _lose_ her," Paige said. "We just don't know where she is."

"Ah. That's a big difference."

"Well, we kind of know where she is. She's not in danger."

"And you're sure of that?"

"Yes, we are," I announced coolly. "Paige, I believe you owe me an explanation." The leprechauns, dwarves, and fairies were back.

"Um, you see…"

"No, I don't see."

"They got us out of a tough spot," Paige said in a rush. "They saved my life. I figured that the least we could do was invite them to the wedding."

"It's Piper's wedding, Paige. Please tell me you told her."

"Well… Not exactly."

"Not exactly?"

"Well, I kind of hinted."

"You gave her hints?" I said.

"Yes. Piper's smart…"

I sighed. "Fine."

"Huh?"

"I don't care. It's not the end of the world. It's better than what Phoebe is doing."

"Okay. I—"

"Shh." I listened carefully. I could have sworn I had heard a giggle.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"I believe she's talking about them," the dwarf said and pointed.

"Hi!" a twelve-year-old me said cheerfully.

"Wow, Prue, she looks just like you," an eleven-year-old Piper said.

"Looks like that spell went right," a ten-year-old Phoebe said.

"What spell?" past me asked sharply. "You're not even allowed to use spells. Mom said…"

"Mom says a lot of things," past Phoebe said. "They're more guidelines than actual rules, Prue. So, are you a future Prue?"

I couldn't tell them anything. But I didn't have the energy to try to make up something. "Yes. How did you three get here?"

"I found a great spell in that book that Mom and Grams keep in the attic. I didn't think that it would work."

"You shouldn't have tried it," Piper reprimanded.

"Too late now," Phoebe flippantly said. "Hey, what's going on here? It seems like someone's getting married."

"You'll have to modify their memories," I murmured to Paige. "Yes, someone is getting married. Piper."

"Piper's getting married?" Phoebe gasped. "I can't believe it. She's so shy."

"I'm not that shy," Piper said.

"You are too. I'll bet that the future you is super nervous," past Phoebe teased.

"No," I found myself saying. "This is her second wedding."

"Second wedding? My gosh, Piper," Phoebe giggled.

"Can we watch?" past me asked.

"No, you can't watch. We have to send you home. Paige, watch them."

"Paige? Who are you?" Phoebe questioned.

"Never mind," Paige told her. "I can't watch them. I have to direct the team. I'm holding them up."

"Well, um…"

"We can watch ourselves," the past me said. "Rather, I can watch them."

"Please. I know myself." I turned to our guests. "Would you keep them in here?"

"Sure."

"But I wanted to see Piper's husband!" Phoebe protested.

"You're going to have your memories erased anyways."

"Then there would be no harm," Phoebe concluded.

"She does have a point," past Piper said.

"Just stay here." _I cannot let Piper see them. Enough has gone wrong._

* * *

"Piper? Piper, we have to get ready." Another empty room. Where was she? "Have you seen Piper?" I asked Paige.

"No, but she has to be around here somewhere."

"Yeah." I went upstairs, where I supposed Piper was. "Piper?" I opened the door to her room. It was empty.

"Over here, Prue," I heard her say.

"Where are you? I can't see you anywhere."

"I've turned invisible. I'm so nervous!"

_So the past Phoebe was right. _"Why are you nervous? You've been through all this before." I bumped into her. She clamped her hand around mine.

"I know, but I'm still so nervous. I mean, what if everything goes wrong? It always does."

"Piper, you have to get out there soon," I said. "You can't get married while you're invisible. Take a deep breath and calm down. Nothing is going to go wrong."

She slowly began to appear before my eyes.

"Now just relax. Paige will help you get ready. I'm going to make sure that nothing goes wrong." I squeezed her hand and kissed the top of her head. "You're going to be fine."

"Thanks, Prue."

I smiled and went back downstairs. A wolf was sitting in the living room. I jumped. "Not another magical creature!" I groaned. "What is it with Piper and magical creatures?"

The wolf wagged its tail, then became a man.

"Remus? But—"

"Piper cured me. I'm no longer a werewolf. I'm just an animagus."

"Well, go upstairs and get ready." I checked the spells. They were still going strong. "Good. The backyard's all set up, Piper's getting ready, and—Grams!" I threw my arms around her.

"Did you doubt that I would come?"

"But…" I shrugged. "I didn't know that anyone had done the spell yet."

"No one had to," Grams said, smirking.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been granted temporary life. The Elders screwed up."

"What about mom?"

"I'll go summon her. You look frazzled, dear."

"I've been making sure that everything will go right," I said.

"Of course. Well, you should go to your sisters. I'll take over from here."

"Thanks, Grams. Oh, our past selves are in the family room. Could you take care of them?"

"Easily."

I went up the stairs and into Piper's room. Paige was helping Piper get into her dress.

"Hey, Prue," Paige said. "Everything is going pretty well."

"Yeah."

A while later, we were outside, all ready to go. Phoebe still hadn't arrived. We had given up on her.

"She's not coming," I whispered to Paige. "Give the signal. We'll have to do this without her." I was so angry. How could Phoebe do this to Piper?

The music began and Piper emerged with dad. She looked so beautiful. Her eyes searched the front. They clouded a little as she realized that Phoebe was missing. Her smile became a bit forced. Victor noticed and squeezed her hand.

_So she didn't show up. Too busy with Jason, I suppose. Well, there's nothing I can do about her. Still… she just didn't care enough to show up._

She was trying so hard to not be hurt, but she was. They reached us and Victor lifted her veil. Then I saw Phoebe in the back. She was putting on her shoe, almost falling over in the process. I had a great desire to knock her over. But I didn't. She carefully made her way to us, being as discreet as possible. We all ignored her. Suddenly, I heard someone's thoughts.

_I can't believe that I get to see mom's wedding! _

I froze. Mom's wedding? What? Were powers just going wacky again?

_This is great. Why does Aunt Prue keep giving Aunt Phoebe looks? Oh, now I remember. Aunt Phoebe showed up at the last minute after a long visit with Jason. Mom looks so beautiful! Dad looks great. It's hard to believe that this is the day after Aunt Paige was shot. She looks fine. Wait, where's Uncle… Oh, right. He wasn't here yet. That must be the Chris Perry that mom told me about. He does look like his father. Uh-oh. I think Aunt Prue has spotted me. Better disappear. _

I glanced towards the crowd and caught a glimpse of a young woman.

"I do."

I looked back to my sister. When I glanced back at the crowd, the woman was gone. I shook off the thoughts I had heard. _Just my powers going wacky._

**

* * *

Piper**

"Finally, we're together. I love you so much, Remus."

He smiled and kissed me.

There was no way to express what I felt. My heart sang with such joy. I had never felt love quite like this before. "I can't believe that they were able to do this." Dumbledore and the other professors had given us an interesting wedding present. We had been given a trip to ancient Greece. It was amazing. "We actually get to see ancient Greece. Shall we go sightseeing?"

"Sure. We can do anything you want."

I giggled giddily. "Let's go then."

"Spells first."

"Right." We cast the translator spells on ourselves. We could now speak and understand Greek.

Greece was beautiful. I could hardly believe my luck. "I wish I had a camera. Too bad we couldn't bring one."

"Well, we'll always have our memories."

"Yes, and I plan to remember this for a long time. Oh, the Parthenon!" The Parthenon was amazing. "The statue of Athena! This is incredible!"

We went all over Athens that day, seeing more incredible things. It was an indescribable experience. I wouldn't have traded it for the world.

* * *

The next morning, we went out mostly to watch the people.

"I never thought that I could feel like this… But now I know that I can." I kissed him. _What if this doesn't work out? _I tried to push the worry away, but I couldn't.

Then something happened. Something very… unusual happened. I metamorphosed physically. My hair became darker and longer. I looked down and found that I was wearing a black velvet dress. "This is interesting," I murmured and stretched out my hand. I was glowing slightly.

"Gods above!"

I looked to the side and saw a young woman. My body became normal, likely because of my surprise.

The woman looked me up and down and began to speak rapidly. I caught a few words: "goddess", "Demeter", and "great blessings."

Remus and I exchanged looks. _She thinks that I'm the goddess Demeter. It could be worse. _

"You must come in. Come," she said and led us into her home. We were given quite the royal treatment.

"A girl could get used to this," I said to Remus in English. "I feel rather like Phoebe did when we were goddesses. But I have much more control."

"Why do they think you're Demeter? And why did you change?"

"We found out a while ago that we might be related to the mortal Greek deities. As for the change… That must have something to do with our new powers. It seems to be triggered by our emotions. Maybe that's why Phoebe…"

"Are you sure you want to think about her?" Remus said carefully.

"Might as well. I just don't understand why Phoebe is acting this way. It's not Sirius or Jason. I don't know what it could be."

"Well, this is Phoebe we're talking about. It's impossible to understand her."

"Yeah, but I thought we were past all this. She turned her life around. I didn't think she would revert to her old ways. She's so stubborn. There are very few things that could make her change her mind." I shook my head. "I guess I kind of want to believe that she wouldn't want to hurt me."

"I'm sure that she didn't want to hurt you. She just didn't think."

"That's the problem with Phoebe. She gets caught up in things and doesn't stop to think… But this is our honeymoon. I shouldn't be talking about my sisters. In fact… I shouldn't be talking at all…" I smiled mischievously. "Io, we have to be going now."

"Of course," Io said. "I hope I have pleased you."

"Very much. Thank you." I turned to Remus and whispered, "I do hope that the werewolf's song didn't take out _all_ the wild wolf in you."

"Only one way to find out…"

* * *

My eyes opened. It was early in the morning. I had been awoken by a dream. I couldn't quite remember it, but I was sure that it was about Chris. _He was in some sort of danger… Well, Phoebe's the precognitive one._

"What is that?" I muttered and got out of bed. There was a bit of light shining from somewhere in the corner. I went over to it and looked closely at it. "It's a time rift," I gasped. As I watched, my sisters appeared.

"We're going to do meditation. I think it would do us some good," Prue said as she sat on the attic floor. She positioned herself in the lotus position and closed her eyes.

"Prue, meditation is so dull. It always puts me to sleep," Paige said.

"Uh huh," Prue said, not really paying attention to her.

Phoebe bit her lip. "Maybe we should concentrate on our new abilities. Leo says that they concentrate on one emotion, the emotion that we feel strongest."

"For me, it's frustration," Prue said. "What about you two?"

"Phoebe, I think your emotion is anger," Paige said.

"Thanks," she said dryly.

"That's another thing," Paige said. "What's up with this attitude?"

"You're one to talk," she shot back.

"Both of you have been acting like brats," Prue said.

"Oh yeah?"

They started to argue. It wasn't long before they drew their wands.

"I think we should settle this now," Prue said viciously.

"Yes," Phoebe said. "Talk is cheap."

"Hey! All of you cut it out!" I said.

They looked around. "Piper?" They were taken aback when they saw my face in the ceiling.

"Yes, it's Piper. What the heck do you think you're doing?" My voice echoed through the room. They winced.

"You're in ancient Greece. How can this be happening?"

"I found a time rift."

Paige's face lit up. "Time rift? I found a time rift right before I was shot."

"Interesting. Voldemort probably sent a darklighter to stop you from finding the truth about the past. But that's not the issue. Why are you fighting?"

"It's those two," Prue said.

"What? You're the one who's—"

"Enough. You're obviously under some sort of spell. Take care of it because I'm not coming home early. This is my honeymoon and I am going to enjoy it. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Now do your meditation and work things out. Goodbye." I slipped back into bed. "Do they always have to do this?" My eyes lingered on the time rift. _I really should close that thing. Although, I could also use that to look into the past, rather, future. _I got up again and went over to the time rift. "Show me what Voldemort did." I gaped as I watched. "So that's what happened."


	10. Miss Belligerent

**Phoebe **

"You can't kick me out of the house!" I screamed at Prue.

"Yes, I can. I'm the oldest sister. I'm kicking your ass out. Pack your bags," she responded calmly.

"Fine! I can't stand living with you three anymore anyways!" I summoned my stuff. "I'm out of here."

"We're back!" Piper sang as she and Remus appeared. Her smile faded instantly. "What is going on?"

"I've been kicked out," I said simply and moved towards the door.

"Stop," Piper said. "Prue, what is she talking about?"

"This is not a whorehouse," Prue said easily. "Phoebe seems to think that it is."

"WHOREHOUSE?" I screeched. "Are you calling me a whore?"

"Yes, I am," Prue said, smiling. "I would have thought that that was obvious. Of course, I can't expect simple intelligence from you."

I swore at her and jumped on her. She flipped me over and pinned me to the ground.

"Attacking in anger gets you nowhere. I want you out now."

"Gladly!" I spat.

"Phoebe, you are not leaving," Piper said. "Both of you sit. Where's Paige?"

"Paige who?" I asked sarcastically.

"I kicked her out yesterday," Prue replied. "She was quite glad to go. Now she can be with Richard again."

"But they broke up long before we came to England."

"Now they're back together."

"Explain, please," Piper instructed.

"Phoebe started to bring home guys and Paige started to pine over Richard."

"No, no. Start at the beginning."

"Don't you want to visit with Wyatt first?" I asked. If I got her out of the room, I could probably escape.

"In a minute. It won't take you long to explain."

"Fine. Prue, you do it."

"As usual," Prue muttered.

"No bickering."

She sighed. "After you left, Phoebe and Paige started to act out of character…."

"So did you," I interrupted.

"Anyways, we all started acting differently…"

_I giggled. "Just this way," I whispered to Will as I lead him towards the stairs._

"_Hold it right there," the dangerous voice of Prue said as the light clicked on._

_I rolled my eyes and turned around. "What are you doing up?"_

"_I could ask you the same thing. You were supposed to watch Wyatt this evening. Because you didn't show up, I had to cancel my date with Kingsley."_

"_Paige could have watched him."_

"_You know very well that she's too sick to do anything."_

"_She's better than she was yesterday," I said._

"_But she's still sick," Prue said. "You were supposed to help her too."_

"_What about Harry?"_

"_Wyatt is not his responsibility. Now get rid of this boy toy and go give Paige her potion."_

"_How about I watch Wyatt for the rest of the week, give Paige her potions, and keep this boy toy?"_

"_How about no?" She pushed me up the stairs with her powers and pushed Will out the door. "You're being irresponsible and loose. What happened to Jason?"_

"_We broke up. He couldn't handle my secret."_

_Prue's gaze softened a bit. "Phoebe, I'm sorry."_

_I shrugged. "Makes no difference to me." I felt her looking through my mind. "Cut that out. You always make me dizzy when you do that."_

"_You deserve it. I can't figure out what's going on in your head."_

"_You don't have to. I feel perfectly normal."_

"_If you say so."_

_I went up to Paige's room, grabbing Paige's potion along the way. I opened the door to her room. _

"_Hey, Phoebe," she said weakly. She had dark circles under her eyes. Her forehead shone with sweat. _

"_Hey. How are you doing?"_

"_Much—" she cut off and coughed violently. "Better."_

"_You don't sound any better."_

"_Well, I'm not coughing up blood anymore. That's a definite improvement." She drank down the potion. "Yuck," she said and made a face. "Prue still won't let me get up."_

"_You're the baby of the family. We have to mother you." I felt my annoyance melting away. Guilt started to replace it. "Have you slept at all?"_

"_Yes," she said. I knew that she was lying. _

"_You're lying. You just don't want to take a sleeping potion."_

"_It tastes awful."_

"_It's not that bad. You need your sleep. Drink," I said. _

_I handed her the potion. She stared at it. "Leo brought another Elder down."_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah. He couldn't heal me either. But the sisterhood will heal me," she said firmly. _

_I placed a damp washcloth on her forehead. "I'm sorry. I should have been here. I don't know why I wasn't."_

"_That's okay." She drank down the potion._

_I smiled sadly. "Sleep." Her eyes closed and I left. The warmth that I had felt in the room left me. I started to remember why I didn't want to be with my sisters. _

"_How is she?" Prue asked._

"_So-so." I paused, deciding to apologize. "Prue, I… I think you're wrong." Where had that come from? "You need to get off my back." Oh yeah… This was right. "I don't need this from you."_

"_Look, you're wrong. Just admit it."_

"_No, I don't think so."_

"_What are you saying?" _

"_I'm saying that you're treating me like a child."_

"_That's because you're acting like a child."_

"_You're one to talk."_

_She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Phoebe, we're both tired. Let's just go to bed and we'll talk about this in the morning."_

"_Fine."_

"That was how it started. That was pretty mild, actually. Well, the next morning, Paige woke us up. She was feeling great, apparently."

"_BOING! BOINGIE!" Paige said and burst out laughing. "Phoebe, you should try this! It's great." She was bouncing on her bed. _

"_Uh, Paige, are you okay?" I asked._

"_I'm great!" She fell back onto her bed. "I miss Richard," she sighed. "I think I'll orb to him." She jumped up. _

"_Prue won't be happy… Go ahead!"_

"_You wouldn't mind?"_

"_Of course not. You'd better go before—"_

"_I get up?" _

"_Hi, Prue," Paige said cheerfully. "I was just going to orb to Richard."_

_Prue stared at us for a while. Then she started to yell. "Have you both gone insane? You can't just orb to Richard's! What if he's moved on with someone else? After all, you're the one who broke it off. Phoebe, you used to be dependable. What happened?"_

"_We woke up and decided that you can't control us," I responded. _

_She glared at us. "You are not leaving this house. You may only leave to go to work. You have to be home by five unless there's an emergency at your workplace."_

"_Are you placing us under house arrest?"_

"_That's one way of saying it. You've been begging for this."_

"_You can't apparate as quickly as I can orb!" She started to orb but Prue stunned her. She was stuck as a mass of blue light. _

"_That's it! We're going to go meditate. We obviously have some things to deal with." She undid the stunning and dragged us up the stairs. _

"_I don't want to do this."_

"That's where I came in," Piper said. "What happened after that?"

"Phoebe brought home three guys that night. I won't repeat her explanation. It's completely inappropriate." Prue glowered at me. "Paige started to get really obsessed with Richard. I thought they'd sleep it off, but they didn't."

"You became a control freak," I said.

"I did not!"

"She nearly had a stoke when some demon blood got on the carpet. She wanted everything perfect."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Prue snapped.

"Continue or I shall be forced to blow you both up."

"Fine," Prue grumbled. "When I woke up yesterday, Phoebe was passed out on the couch. Paige was on the floor. They had had a girl's night in with magical alcohol."

"Paige's idea," I said in an offhanded way.

"In the course of this, they had scared Chris and Harry away."

"I'm almost afraid to ask this," Piper said, "but what did they try to do?"

"You don't want to know, trust me," Prue said. "I immediately kicked Paige out and sent Phoebe to find where Chris and Harry had gone."

"Chris thought that Harry would be in danger while we were in that state," I said. "They were up there, trying to figure things out. Prue really lost her temper when I stayed out past my curfew. That's where we are now. Goodbye."

"Phoebe, you can't go," Chris said as he orbed in holding the book.

"Too bad," I said. "I'm going. I am sick of this."

"You're thinking only of yourself, yet again!" Prue said angrily.

"Everybody calm down!" Piper said.

"Shut up, Piper!" Prue and I said.

"Irresponsible—"

"Annoying—"

"Selfish—"

"Childish—"

"Stuck-up—"

"Brat!"

"Witch!"

"Hag!"

"Slut!"

I felt like I had been kicked in the chest. I glanced at the book and saw that the Celtic knot had separated. "Great."

"I tried to tell you," Chris said. "Voldemort cast a spell on you to make you insensitive. Piper was the only one who wasn't affected. I'll be able to fix this."

"How?" Piper asked wearily.

"I'll take off the spell. Then you'll have to have a heart-to-heart."

"I'd rather die," I declared.

"Be my guest," Prue grumbled.

The fireplace lit up and Richard appeared. He was holding Paige.

"Paige!"

* * *

"How did you do that?" I questioned Piper. She had healed Paige.

"I didn't," Piper responded. "It was the baby."

"The baby? That's pretty weird."

"I think I look younger," Paige said. "Don't you think so?"

"A little," I admitted. "Paige, Prue, Piper, I'm sorry."

"I should be the sorry one," Paige said.

"We were all under a spell," Prue said. "We should just forget about it. We'll get Voldemort for this later. It's late now. We should get some sleep."

"Yeah. It's been a long day." We climbed the stairs and went into our rooms. _Bonding sure takes a lot out of you. _I turned off the lights and flopped into bed. I was just about to fall asleep when a blue light illuminated the room. "Chris?" I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "Chris, what are you doing in my room?" The figure came into focus. "Whoa!" I leapt out of bed. "How… what… who are you?"

"What kind of a greeting is that?"

He looked like him… but how could it be him? "I must be going crazy. I'm going to close my eyes, and when I open them, you'll be gone." I closed my eyes, then opened them. He was still there. "I'm crazy. You're dead."

"You're not going crazy. I'm a whitelighter now."

"Sirius?" I whispered, hardly daring to believe.

"Yes."

I stared at him. A huge wage of emotions pulled me under. I drowned in all the happiness and disbelief that I was now feeling. I wanted to cry. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to hold him in my arms. _Duh. Hold him, you idiot!_ "Oh, Sirius!" I wrapped my arms around him. Tears flooded my eyes. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there. I love you so much, Sirius. I thought I had lost you."

He kissed my tears away. I couldn't believe it—his soft lips were on my skin again. He was in my arms again. "I'm here now. We can be together again."

"We have so much to talk about."

He smiled. That smile always made me feel weak in the knees.

"Hey, that's not fair! You know that that smile always gets to me." I stroked his cheek. He still had that small amount of stubble. It made him just slightly rugged, and it was another thing that I went wild for. "I've missed you. I was so alone, and…"

"I've missed you, Phoebe. I love you."

We kissed. "Come. Let's _talk_."

**

* * *

Paige**

I yawned and continued to look through my closet. _Where did that blue shirt go? Only one place… _"Phoebe's room." I went over to her room. _She should be up by now. _I knocked on the door. "Phoebe?" The knocking was hollow. There was a silencing spell on the room. "Odd," I murmured and opened the door. "Phoebe—oh!" I shut the door quickly. _Okay, I must be seeing things. The light was pretty low, and I only glanced at them. That definitely couldn't have been Sirius. _The door opened and Phoebe emerged. She was only wearing a long shirt. "Pheebs, I'm sorry, but I didn't know you were with someone…. Eeohmy!" I backed up into the wall.

A man had come out of Phoebe's room. He was wearing only boxers—no guesswork was needed about what _they_ had done. He looked like Sirius. He looked a lot like Sirius. But Sirius was dead.

"Paige, it's me," the-man-who-looked-like-Sirius-but-couldn't-possibly-be-Sirius said.

"But… Sirius… You can't be Sirius… You're dead!"

"That's right."

"But then you would have to be…"

"A whitelighter," he finished. "I didn't achieve my destiny. They had no choice but to make me a whitelighter."

"You, a whitelighter? I never would have expected that." The initial shock was wearing off.

"Hey, it's not that unbelievable," Sirius indignantly said.

Our conversation had woken up everyone else. One by one, the doors opened. That action was followed by a round of gasps.

"Sirius?" everyone said in unison.

He smiled that patented smile. "Yup. I'm a whitelighter."

There was a moment in which everyone just stared at Sirius. Then the scene burst over with action.

"Sirius, I'm so glad to see you," Piper said as she burst into tears.

"I see you're still the same. Always quick to cry."

"And I see you've retained your humor," Prue said and hugged him.

I noted that Remus and Sirius exchanged the usual manly 'was it good? yes it was' look. I laughed a little, and Sirius grinned.

"We should go downstairs and talk," Piper said. She looked at their state and seemed to just barely stop herself from laughing. "Phoebe, Sirius, you two should probably put some pants on."

I had to feel for Harry. He had just met up with beloved godfather again, and Sirius was in his boxers. I briefly wondered if he knew the 'was it good? yes it was' look. Then I got kind of grossed out by that train of thought.

Sirius and Phoebe smiled guiltily and went back into her room. They joined us moments later down in the living room.

"So why did they let you become a whitelighter?" Piper asked.

"Voldemort changed our time path," Sirius explained. "I was supposed to marry Phoebe. It involves a lot of complicated and confusing things."

"Yeah. The Elders don't want us to know much about it," Phoebe said. "They don't want our paths too change any more than they already have."

"Their usual MO."

"Oh, that reminds me. I have some news," Piper said.

"What is it?"

"With all this drama, I forgot to tell you guys that I know exactly what happened. I looked into the time rift." She paused dramatically.

"Well?" I asked anxiously.

"It's a fairly clever plan, I must say. Voldemort first had Wormtail pretend to be Remus, then Sirius. Once Phoebe and I had retreated to the United States, Paige and Prue were forced to follow. That got us out of the way… for a while. Voldemort knew that Phoebe's power could still interfere. It did just that before Lily and James were killed. She saw their deaths. To keep her away from them, Voldemort sent Wormtail to erase her memory of the premonition. That made everything calm."

"Oh God." Phoebe's eyes shone with sadness. "I could have saved them. I could have prevented all this. It's my fault."

"It's Voldemort's fault," Sirius said. "He did all this, and he will pay."

"Still… If I had that vision, it meant that was supposed to save them."

"Not necessarily," I said. "Sometimes people have to die. We've learned that."

"Damn him! He had to screw everything up!" Her body began to glow. Her eyes turned green. "I am not the one you call Melinda," she said in a shadowy voice.

We knew that this was the spirit. "Who are you?"

"I am the past. I am Morrigan, a queen of magic powers. I command the four matriarchal stages…. The mother," she said and pointed to Piper. "The mystic." She pointed at me. "The master." Prue was pointed out. "And the medium. I have chosen you to carry on my power, as I can no longer use it. Find my strength within yourselves, and my powers will be yours." Phoebe's eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped forward. With a few blinks, she was back. "What happened?"

"The spirit spoke through you. We have some research to do."

* * *

"Queen Morrigan ruled during the time when magic was just getting organized," Prue said.

"So… we're dealing with a really ancient spirit," I concluded.

"Yup. She's powerful, too. She even had the power of invincibility."

"How'd she die?"

"Natural causes," Prue said. "It was the only thing that could kill her. She devoted her life to fighting evil."

"Just like us."

She nodded. "She predicted that she would one day pass her powers onto her chosen four."

"She chose us?"

"Yes. Now we have even more powers. We can only access them, though, when we're 'in the grips of our greatest emotion'."

"So when we get emotional, we go through that weird change," I said.

"Precisely. In order to fully access our powers, we have to get in touch with our centers."

"Not meditation!" I groaned.

"You act like it's some sort of punishment. It's not. It's meant to be relaxing."

"If we don't work on finding our centers, we'll only be able to access Morrigan's powers by becoming overly emotional. That's not exactly a good thing to try during battle," Piper said.

"Therefore, we must find our centers."

"Mm…." Phoebe murmured. She had been so happy since Sirius had returned.

"I notice that you're engaged again."

"Yup," Phoebe said with a grin. "I just hope that this wedding goes better than my last."

"Don't worry. Your wedding has been blessed by the Elders. I doubt that anything will go wrong."

My sisters looked at me.

"Right."

"Sure."

"Well, we can hope."

* * *

The next morning, I walked into a soap opera.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Piper sobbed. "I thought you were different!"

"What did I do?" Remus helplessly asked.

"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you!" She buried her face in her hands, muffling the rest of her words.

"Piper, please tell me what I did." He placed his hand on her back. She slapped it away.

"Don't even touch me!" she snapped.

"Remus, don't worry. You didn't do anything. She's just feeling emotional," I explained.

"You think you know me?" Piper asked accusingly.

"Well, I've only known you since we were teens," I replied.

She glared at me. "Don't you get smart with me."

"I guess that she's getting emotional instead of nauseous," I said to Remus. "Hormones have to do something. I expect we'll be facing more of this in the future."

"Ow, ow, ow," Phoebe said as she entered the room, clutching her head. "Where is my magical coffee?"

"Magical coffee?"

"It's a special mix that instantly cures a hangover. Ah, here it is."

"Late night?" I asked.

"Yeah." She took a sip of the coffee and immediately became rejuvenated. "That's the good stuff."

"Phoebe, do you think I'm fat?" Piper asked.

"Of course not. You're not even showing yet."

"But I will. Then everyone will treat me like a china doll. I don't want that again!"

"Well, you're not going to be invincible this time," Phoebe said. "This baby is different. Looks like you're going to have more weird adventures with this pregnancy, though. This should be fun."

"Maybe for you. You don't have to actually go through all this. I'm the one who has to go through it."

"Since when do you get all emotional?"

"Since—since… Oh, just leave me alone!" She crossed her arms and stared at Phoebe.

"Okay," Phoebe responded, wisely letting the subject drop. She looked at me.

_This is going to be a fun time. _I was sure that Phoebe was thinking the same thing.


	11. Your Future, My Pain

**Prue **

"Things have been so normal lately," I commented to Piper. It was early December. Phoebe was away on a mission. She and Sirius had gotten married in September. Phoebe had told Piper that she could not show up to get back at her. Piper had refused.

"Are you complaining?" Piper was now showing somewhat.

"No, not at all. It's just seems like the calm before the storm, you know?"

"You're going to jinx it."

"I am not. You're so superstitious."

"Only when it comes to a lull in the action." The phone rang. "Hello? Hi, Pheebs. Wait, slow down. What? Really? Oh my God! That's so wonderful! You're that far gone? Didn't you even pay attention? Right. As usual. You're coming home next week, right? Good. Well, hurry home. Bye." She hung up.

"What's so great?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"She's pregnant! Three and a half months, actually."

"Three and a half months? Jeez. I can't believe she didn't notice."

"Well, this is Phoebe," Piper said. "She has been rather distracted with all these missions."

"Yeah. She's going to go nuts when they make her stay home."

"I'd hate to be them," she agreed.

"Well I'm sorry," Paige said to Grams as they orbed in. "I just wasn't sure if you would have the ability to orb. After all, you're not actually a whitelighter."

"Of course I can orb. It's the only thing different about me. Other than that, I'm just like I was when I was alive."

_Yeah, and just as grouchy. _

I fought to keep a straight face.

"Hey you two," Piper said. "Phoebe's got some news."

"Good or bad?" Grams questioned.

"Wonderful. She's pregnant!"

"She shouldn't be out on a mission," Grams said.

"Try telling her that. You know that she's going to try to work into her ninth month, Grams."

"I definitely won't let her do that."

"No one will. They'll make her take maternity leave. Sit. How are things at Hogwarts?" Grams had accepted the position of teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Very well." She paused. I could tell that she wanted to tell us something.

"What?"

"I've been discussing things with the Elders."

"Crazy secret stuff?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Stuff that you can't discuss, right?"

"Actually, I have to discuss this 'stuff' with you."

"Finally, we're in the loop," Paige said, voicing what we were all thinking.

"So what's the scoop?"

"Voldemort is waiting for something. He won't attack until that something happens."

"And what is that something?" Piper asked.

"We're not sure. It could be the birth of the third child. That's our leading theory."

"So we're safe until Phoebe has her child?" Paige said.

"Not necessarily safe," said Grams. "He'll still try to kill you three, but he won't dare to touch Phoebe."

"I see. Will he try to get Harry and Wyatt?"

Grams nodded. "Yes. You have to be especially careful with them."

"We always are," Piper said.

"I—demon!" Grams and I sent the demon into the wall. Piper blew it up. "And that's just a taster. He's going to keep sending more demons. I expect we'll get some more powerful demons soon."

"Joy," I muttered. "Should we try to put some stronger spells on the house?"

"That would be a good idea."

"I know the perfect spell," Chris said as he entered.

Grams stiffened. She really didn't like or approve of Chris. "What would that be?"

"It's a spell that hasn't been created yet," said Chris.

"Wait. We're supposed to trust your spell?" Grams didn't make any effort to hide the fact that she didn't trust him. He tried to show his dislike for her, but we all knew that he didn't particularly like her.

"It's not my spell. Prue wrote, well, will write it in the future. I know you don't trust my word, but you have to."

"No, I don't," Grams said. "Why haven't the Elders sent you back to the future? The girls don't need you. They have Sirius."

"Grams, we're going to need his help with the Voldemort issue," I said. Chris gave me an appreciative look. "Let's see this spell." He handed it to me. I read it. "It does seem like something I would write. We'll probably need the Power of Four for it to work. We'll have to wait until Phoebe gets back."

"Shouldn't you have her come back?" Grams questioned.

"No, this can wait." Grams still stressed the importance of our closeness. "We have spells on the house, and they'll be fine until next week. Let Phoebe enjoy her missions while she still can."

_They're going to drift apart; I just know it._

"We're not going to drift apart," I said.

"Well, you're all getting married."

"Don't get into that, please. Sirius and Remus are good men."

"How do you know?" Grams sharply asked.

"Would Piper really marry someone who would cause us trouble?"

"She did date a warlock," Grams said.

"And you dated a demon," Piper pointed out. "Remus is wonderful. Our child is going to be wonderful."

"And hopefully a girl."

"Girl or boy, the baby will be loved no matter what."

"A girl will cause less trouble. You know what's going to happen to Wyatt."

"That can be prevented." Grams had found out from the Elders about Wyatt's future. It wasn't a very pretty thing. I knew that Piper could hardly believe that her son would do that. Piper didn't need Grams reminding her.

"Grams, don't do this," I sighed. "We don't even know how he turned evil."

"Perhaps not, but _he _does." She turned her eyes on Chris.

"I can't tell you about that," Chris said. He seemed as sick of saying that as we were of hearing it.

"How will we be able to prevent it, then?"

"We know now, and we'll make sure that he doesn't become evil," I said.

"Well, I'll see you later." She orbed out.

"I see that I really get on her nerves," Chris commented.

"Eh, she's not very fond of men," Paige said. "It's nothing personal."

"She seems to try to make it personal."

"That's just Grams. She'll warm up to you eventually," Piper said.

_I highly doubt that, _Chris thought.

I kind of did too. What was it that made Grams act like this? I didn't know, and I didn't want to try to find out. I had enough to deal with.

* * *

"Time to brew some potions," Paige said as she dragged Piper and I up to the attic. "Those dang demons keep popping in uninvited. We need to make some more potions for them."

"Humph," I replied.

"What's up with you today? You seem distant."

"I keep thinking about all the things that just don't add up."

"Are you looking for trouble again?" Paige asked.

"No, I'm just trying to figure everything out."

"You can't figure out everything," Piper said.

"I can try," I responded.

"So what particular things don't add up?"

"The final battle with Voldemort is one thing. Now Chris has reluctantly revealed that he was defeated, but how could he have been defeated if Wyatt was evil and likely on his side?"

"Maybe we were able to overcome him."

"The Power of Three wouldn't have been enough. In Chris's future, Paige is dead. Without Paige, we would have been weakened."

"Well, Harry and Phoebe's son fit in with that," Paige said.

"Harry would have been trying to fight Voldemort," I pointed out. "Voldemort is almost as powerful as Wyatt."

"Then Phoebe's son was taking care of Wyatt with our help."

"Maybe. It just doesn't feel right."

"What other things don't add up?"

"Chris. If his father really is that whitelighter, then his mother would be our kind of witch. Yet he seems so comfortable with muggle things."

"He could be like us," Piper said. "We were raised mostly in a muggle environment."

"True, but there are other things about him that I don't understand. The thoughts I was able to get from him at the beginning are strange."

"What do you mean?"

"He kept thinking about the third child and how he had to find him. He knew that he had to protect him," I said.

"Well, that's not very unusual," Piper said. "The third child has to be protected."

"Yeah. It still feels strange."

"Everything will be revealed soon, I'm sure."

_CRACK_. Phoebe appeared.

"Pheebs, you're back! We—"

She ran out of the room. _Not again!_

"What was that?"

"I think it's nausea," I said.

"Oh."

Phoebe rejoined us a few minutes later. "Sorry about that. I'm really starting to understand the trouble you had, Piper. It's good to be home." She hugged us. "So where is my charming husband?"

"I'm right here," Sirius said as he orbed in. "How's my baby doing?"

"You'd better be talking about me, buddy," Phoebe said, "because I am not just a mother. I'm your wife and you're going to see me like that."

"Okay." He looked to us.

"Leo didn't see Piper as a sexual being when she got pregnant," I explained.

"And you are not going to do that to me," Phoebe said.

"Of course not."

"Oh, I have great news," Piper said. "Phoebe, I've found a wonderful magical maternity ward. We'll both be able to go there to have our children. We won't have to worry about erasing people's memories. I've also found a magical birthing class."

"That's great! I won't have to worry about the baby's first orb."

"Yeah, and I won't have to go through a sisterly delivery," Piper said. Seeing our looks, she quickly added, "Not that guys didn't do a good job, of course, but this is going to be easier."

"Plus, we won't lose magic."

"That caused a lot of trouble in the wizarding world, you know," Sirius said.

"I'd assume so," Phoebe said. "No one really told us what happened. Must have been a mess, though."

"The Ministry declared a state of emergency."

We all laughed. "Running around like a chicken without a head."

"What's up with that amulet?" I asked Phoebe. She had a large, green amulet hanging from her neck.

"It's for the protection of children. I got it after we captured Lucius Malfoy."

"You got him?"

"We most certainly did. He's now at Azkaban, which is no longer run by the dementors."

"That's wonderful. You catch anyone else?"

"Yes. I had the pleasure of capturing Bellatrix. I gave her nice ass-kicking. That's what she gets for killing my man. She has joined most of the Death Eaters behind bars."

"That's great," I said. "How many Death Eaters are left?"

"Not many. I think that we have maybe four more. However, he'll probably gather more close followers. They'll probably be demons. Demons are usually more loyal and more powerful."

"We've got enough vanquishing potions for them," Piper said. "That's one disadvantage about demons. They're so easily killed."

"Yes, I see you've been busy with the potions." Phoebe eyed all the potions. "We seem well protected."

"That reminds me. We have to cast another protection spell on the house. Chris gave us a new spell."

"He wrote a protection spell?"

"No, Prue did," Piper said. "Well, she will someday."

"We should cast it now."

We gathered around the sheet of paper and recited the spell. "_This our power, this is our need, give to us protection, for us intercede._"

Music floated through the attic. It was beautiful. A ghostly form rose up from the floor. It looked like a phoenix, yet it wasn't. It sang its song, then disappeared.

"Nice spell, Prue," Piper commented.

"I can't believe I wrote that."

"Will write," Paige corrected.

"Right. Looks like this house is protected."

"And then some."

* * *

**Piper **

"What do you want for breakfast, Pheebs?" I asked.

"Saltines," Phoebe said miserably.

"Still feeling sick?"

"Yes. This is horrible. How could you survive this?"

"I think I have something for you."

"An antacid?"

"No, it's a special food additive. It's made especially for pregnant women. It should help with the nausea."

"Magical?"

"Yes."

"Good."

I sprinkled some on her eggs. "Try it."

"Mm… These eggs are good."

"What would you expect from a gourmet chef?" I said.

She waited a few seconds. "Hey, I don't feel like throwing up! Thanks so much, Piper." She continued eating.

"Morning, my love," Remus said and kissed me.

"Looks like we won't have to worry about Piper's dreams coming to life," Phoebe murmured.

"No, we won't," I said with a smile.

"Well, I'd better get to work," Phoebe said, standing up.

"You're still going to work?" Remus asked.

"Of course. I'm only three months pregnant. Three months is nothing."

"But your job is physical," Remus said. "Every other day, you're off kicking butt and taking numbers. That's not good for a pregnant woman."

Phoebe waved her hand dismissively. "I'll take maternity leave when they tell me to. For now, I'm still going in. Bye." She disapparated.

"Do you think that she's going to willingly take maternity leave?"

"No way," I said.

"How are you doing?"

"Great. I've got control over my emotions again. I don't have any nausea. This is good. Oh, the baby's moving." I placed his hand on my stomach. "I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. I'll bring Phoebe too. Did you know that she actually used a spell to suppress her period during missions?"

"Seems like her."

"Yeah. I hope didn't have any affect on the baby," I said. "I guess she didn't want any distractions."

"She's dedicated to her job."

"She'll be dedicated to her baby when he comes. What do you think of my maternity clothes?" I had found a wonderful place in Diagon Alley that catered to pregnant women. It actually had nice clothes.

"You look great, as usual."

"You're good for my ego," I said.

"Of course. Why else would you keep me around?"

I giggled and kissed him. "I love you."

* * *

"I hate you, Sirius!" Phoebe yelled.

"What?" Sirius said, bewildered. "Why? What did I do?"

"Like you have to ask." She crossed her arms and stared down at him from the top of the stairs. "Just look at me."

"You look great," Sirius said.

"Lies!" She walked down the stairs. "Prue, don't I look horrible?"

"No, you don't," she told her. "Calm down."

"Calm down? This is going to be the worst time of my life. It's like nine months chock full of PMS. This is all your fault." She rounded on Sirius. "You did this to me!"

"I thought you wanted children," Sirius said.

"I do, but I didn't want this!" Phoebe huffed. "This is partly your fault, yet nothing happens to you! You won't have to give birth! You won't get fat! You don't have to wake up every morning with unbearable nausea! I do!"

"Phoebe—" Sirius started.

"I don't want to hear it!" She seized a picture and threw it at him. I froze it. "Piper! You traitor! Argh!" She stomped off.

"What just happened?" Sirius asked me.

"A mix of hormones and worry. Phoebe has a lot to handle right now," I explained.

"That was worry?"

"Yes. Soon she'll be a mother and that's a daunting responsibility. Hormones make it worse."

"I have a lot to learn about pregnant women."

"Yes, you do. First of all, you never argue with a pregnant woman. Never."

"Even when she's being ridiculous?"

"Especially then," I said. "She is always right. If she says it's your fault, it is your fault. A pregnant woman refuses to be proven wrong, so don't even try it."

"What about you?" Sirius said. "You seem fairly reasonable."

"This is my second pregnancy. I have a better handle on things this time."

"These next months are going to be interesting."

"Oh, it gets more fun."

"Oh no. What's going to happen?" Sirius asked, dread in his voice.

"Well, you're going to have to go to birthing lessons," I said. "That's going to be quite an adventure. Plus she's going to give everyone hell when they force her to go on maternity leave. She loves being an auror, and she'll probably try to keep fighting."

"I'd better go talk to her."

"That would be a good idea." I sat back. I liked this pregnancy.

"I hope I have a pregnancy like yours, Piper," Prue said.

"You want to have kids?" I had never talked about this with Prue. I really had never seen her as a mother. But now that I thought about it, she would make a good mom.

"Maybe someday. Right now, I think I'll concentrate on my career."

"Ah."

"So how was your doctor visit?" she asked.

"Good. The baby's perfectly healthy."

"And Phoebe?"

"Her baby's doing wonderfully. That string of missions didn't affect her at all. I'm still a little worried about her."

"She won't do anything that will hurt her baby," Prue said.

"But what does she think will hurt?"

"We'll keep an eye on her."

"I know."

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, Phoebe was already at work. I quickly went to work.

I was walking by Phoebe's office when I heard her scream, "Maternity leave? They're making me take maternity leave?"

"You're almost four months pregnant. This is a very physical job. We don't want anything to happen to you or your baby."

"No! I refuse to leave!"

Even though I didn't want to, I had to interfere. I knocked on the door. "Phoebe?"

"Go away, Piper!"

I went in anyways.

"Piper, thank God. She refuses to take time off," Tonks said.

"Why should I?" Phoebe said.

"Because you have to fight in this job. There are a lot of nasty spells out there. Nobody wants you to get hurt," I said.

"I have three healers."

"That's not the point. You should try to avoid danger." I took her arm and tried to lead her away. She wouldn't budge.

"No. I'm not leaving. You get to stay at your job."

"My job isn't physical. Yours is. I'll call Sirius if I have to."

"I can take him."

"Can you take Morrigan? Because I will call upon her."

"You have to call upon grief to get her. And you're making me angry. I can call upon her too."

"Come on," I said.

"Oh, fine."

"Don't give me any trouble. Just go home."

"I will." She disapparated.

I followed her.

"You didn't have to follow me," Phoebe said. "I know how to get home."

"I know, but I worry about you."

She was quiet for a few minutes. "I overreacted back there," she finally admitted. "I just love my job. I'll be more careful. No more demon fighting for either of us."

"Yeah. I'll tell you, I kind of miss that."

"Me too. But I'd rather keep my baby safe."

"That's what I want to hear. I'll be home soon." I disapparated.

* * *

"Is this handwriting?" I squinted at the letter.

"Yes," Paige said as she snatched the letter back. "And it's quite legible. It says: 'Dear Harry, we… uh…' Okay, maybe it's a little hard to read. I never said that my handwriting was perfect."

"I'll rewrite it," I said. "Maybe you should get those dictation quills."

"Bah!" she scoffed.

"I'm just saying…" I trailed off as Paige was shooting daggers at me. "Yeah." I whipped out a quill and quickly rewrote the letter. "I'll take it. You haven't seen my owl form yet, have you?"

"Actually, I have."

"When?"

"During that one summer, I saw you change without the aid of a spell for the first time," Paige said.

"You knew all along?"

"Yes."

"Well, thanks for keeping my secret."

"That's what sisters are for."

I changed and flew out the window. Eventually I reached the area outside of Hogwarts and flew onward towards the castle. My heart filled with joy as I saw it. The other owls were flying in. I followed.

Harry was sitting with a boy with fiery red hair and a brunette girl. _Must be Ron and Hermione. _I glided down to the table and held out the letter. He seemed slightly surprised. He didn't know that I was an animagus.

"Who's it from?" Hermione asked.

"The sisters. They want me to come to their home for Christmas."

"Are you going to?" Ron questioned.

"I don't know," Harry said. "It's weird living with people who like me."

_Don't know? I should change._

"Oh, what a beautiful owl," Hermione said and petted my head. "A triquetra… How unique."

With my eyes half-closed, I let her pet me. _So nice… Oh no… she's hypnotizing me… _I shook my head, looked around, then jumped down and transformed. "How could you not know?"

They jumped back. "Who are you?"

"This is Piper," Harry said.

"You're an animagus?" Hermione asked.

"Yes." I looked at Harry. "I can't believe that you would consider saying no. Phoebe's having a lot of fun with her pregnancy. She's driving Sirius crazy. She's been throwing stuff at him."

"I don't want to impose," Harry uncomfortably said.

I held up my hand. "None of that. You're coming and that's final. Paige will come by when your vacation begins."

"A real half whitelighter? The four Charmed Ones? The second child?" Hermione said breathlessly, seeming to be fascinated by all this.

"Um… yeah."

"Don't mind her. She's a bookworm. She's probably read all about you," Ron explained.

"Ah. Sounds like a younger me. I'll have Paige talk to you."

"Oh, thank you."

I smiled and transformed. _I think I'll go watch Grams teach. _I turned invisible and flew to her classroom. She was preparing her lesson, which happened to be a demon. She had it trapped by three crystals. It was not at all happy.

"Now, now. Don't be like that," Grams said. "I won't be killing you until the end of the day."

I had partly expected this from her. _I wonder what the students think of her. _

The class filed in. "Good morning. Today we will be looking at a regenerative demon." She took a knife and stabbed him. He instantly reappeared. "You can either use a vanquishing potion, or you can use a spell. Does anyone know what spell that would be?"

Hermione raised her hand, as did Harry. _Good. He remembers what we've been teaching him. _

"Harry?"

"The tolma spell."

"Yes."

Grams was an excellent teacher. I found myself wishing that I had had her for a DADA teacher. After class had ended, Grams said, "Hello, Piper. Did you enjoy the lesson?"

I transformed. "Yes. You're a very good teacher, Grams."

"Thanks. How's my great-grandchild doing?"

"Superbly. You seem a bit warmer towards this pregnancy."

"Well, I was a little stressed out."

"I understand. You'll be home for Christmas, right?"

"Yes. I'll see you then."

* * *

I awoke in the middle of night for some reason. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up and wandered downstairs. The baby kicked. "Hey, you. Did you wake me up?"

The room started to swirl around me. _Oh no. Now what? _I closed my eyes, willing it to stop. I lifted up into the air a little, then landed delicately. I was still in the living room, but it looked different.

"Mom!"

I jumped and then quickly dimmed out.

A teenage girl walked into the room. She looked a lot like a younger Phoebe. "Mom?"

"I'm right here, Mel," the future me said as she walked into the room. "What is it?"

"Wyatt's being a jerk," Mel complained.

"Uh oh. What did he do this time?"

"He scared Jack away. Jack! Things were so great between us and then Wyatt had to use his telekinesis on him." She crossed her arms. "Plus, he keeps being mean to dad just because he isn't his dad. He's ruining my life!"

"I'll talk with him," future me said.

"You know that that won't do anything. He thinks he's so great just because he has that stupid sword."

Suddenly, there was a crash in the other room. I followed the future me and Mel and found that a young man had thrown Remus into the wall.

"Wyatt, NO!" The future me helped Remus up.

Mel changed into a wolf and attacked Wyatt. _What the hell is this?_

"Melinda, stop!" the future me cried and tore her off of Wyatt.

"I didn't hurt him," she sniffed. "Besides, he deserved it. He attacked dad!"

"That doesn't give you an excuse to attack him. Wyatt, explain yourself," future me commanded.

"He's not my father," Wyatt bitterly said. "I'm sick of him acting like he is."

"Leo is an Elder," future me said. "He can't be with us."

"Hey, y'all!" Phoebe and Prue walked in. "Oh Wyatt, what did you do now?" future Phoebe asked in an exasperated voice.

"Nothing." There was something strange in his eyes.

"Wyatt, I just don't know what to do with you anymore. This war is hard enough on us. We—" future me began.

"You can end the war," Wyatt said.

"We will not give into Voldemort," Prue harshly said.

"Why not?" Wyatt challenged. "The Power of Four was destroyed. The third child is dead."

"He's not dead!" Phoebe yelled. "I will find him."

"No, you won't. Not if I can help it."

"What…"

Voldemort appeared. "Now!"

Wyatt threw Melinda and my future self into the wall. I watched in horror as he clenched his fist, causing Remus, Phoebe, and Prue to fall to the ground. They were dying… and then they were dead.

"No!" future me howled.

The room began to spin and I was back. I couldn't move. I was too shocked. _So that's what my son will do. He'll kill my sisters and my husband. _What could I do? "Leo!" I called urgently.

"What is it?" Leo asked as he orbed in.

"I went to the future," I said.

"What? How?"

"The baby. She took me to the future. I saw what Wyatt did. He killed them and then he joined Voldemort." Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Whom did he kill?"

"Phoebe, Remus, and Prue. I think that was Chris's future. Oh, what are we going to do?"

"We're going to raise him in good," Leo said. "We're going to stop that from happening."

"Can we? Can we really stop it?" I said.

"Yes. We will. You're a good mother. We're going to make sure that he grows up and stays good."

"Thanks, Leo. So will my daughter be able to jump through time?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"Will I be kicked into the future every time she kicks?"

"Probably," Leo said. "You can freeze time to stop it."

"That's good to know," I murmured.

"Let me know if you go into the future again."

"I will."


	12. The Cynic Syndrome

**Phoebe**

I popped the oven open and took out the sheet of chocolate chip cookies. They were perfect. Immediately I put in the peanut butter cookies. I glanced at the clock. It was almost one o'clock… in the morning. I had been unable to sleep. I had been having weird dreams involving a green midget. I guessed that it was a side effect of being pregnant. The need to make ninety cookies was probably another side effect.

I sat down with a crossword puzzle. "Moose's cousin. Elk." I had never really like crosswords before, but they were a good source of entertainment now that I was on maternity leave. _Maternity leave. I could still kick those dark wizards' asses. Oh well. _"Hello, Chris," I said without looking up. I could always sense when a certain person entered the room. Each person had a particular feel. Even though I couldn't feel what Chris was feeling, I could still sense him. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No. I was thinking about the future."

"Ah. I'm guessing that you can't tell me what you were thinking about."

"No, I can't," he said.

"Well, can you give me a vague idea?"

"It had to do with Melinda," Chris said.

"Melinda? As in Piper's daughter?"

"Yes."

"What about her? Oh, right. You can't reveal anything. So what will I name my son? Me knowing that can't screw up things," I said.

"Nicolas Anthony Halliwell."

"Hmm… I like that. Well, that saves some time. Here, have a cookie."

He looked around, eyeing the dozens of cookies.

"Yeah, an urge to cook."

"How many dozens of cookies do you have?"

"Um… Around five dozen, give or take a few."

"I see…"

"So Chris, what was your mother like?"

"Oh, uh…"

"Is this another I-can't-tell-you-without-messing-up-the-future thing?"

"Yes."

"So I must know her. Hmm… Don't tell me you're related to us."

"I'm not." There was no hesitation, but it wasn't hasty answer either. As far as I could tell, he wasn't lying.

"I've been wondering why Melinda wouldn't come back. After all, she will have the power to jump through time. But I won't ask. Everything has to be shrouded in secrecy." I nibbled on a cookie. "I'm assuming that you went to Hogwarts. Am I right?"

"Yeah," he said. "Melinda was in the same year as me."

"Aha. So you're going to be born sometime next year. Don't worry. I won't search everywhere to find a woman pregnant with a half whitelighter. Although, I might get bored enough…" I smiled. He knew that I was joking. "You must know my son."

"Yeah, I do."

I could see that he didn't want to talk about him. That made me curious, but I couldn't ask. "I—" A premonition hit me. My sisters and I were all in Morrigan form. We joined hands, and a white light appeared. It was so pure…

"Phoebe?"

I was brought back to reality. "Premonition."

"What did you see?"

"Just my sisters and I in Morrigan form. I don't think it means anything. Our powers always get messed up when we get pregnant. Piper got the pink flowers last time. This time, it's time jumps."

"Pink flowers?"

"Yeah. Wyatt replaced her molecular combustion with flowers."

"Ah."

The last batch of cookies finished. I got them out. "Well, it's late. I'd better turn in before Sirius wakes up and lectures me."

"Sirius lectures?" Chris said with a small laugh.

"Yeah. Now that he's a whitelighter, he feels that he has a duty to act responsible. Did you know him in the future?"

"Yeah. We were both a part of the resistance."

Once again, I could tell that he didn't want to reveal any more information. "Well, you should get some sleep too."

I went upstairs and sat down on the bed. Another premonition hit me, but this time, I only saw Chris's face. "Odd," I muttered and got under the covers.

* * *

"Whoa!" I heard Piper say. She was in the kitchen. I was walking down the stairs. "Someone went cookie crazy last night."

"That would be me," I said. "I was having weird dreams."

"So you whipped up a million cookies?"

"Basically."

"You know, this is a torture."

"Why?"

"I don't want to pig out on cookies."

"Oh Piper, live a little. We're pregnant. We're allowed a little indulgence. It's one of the perks."

An owl delivered the paper.

"Hey Phoebe, you're in the newspaper today. They're praising you for all that you've done for the Ministry."

"Yeah, I'm in the tabloids too," I muttered.

"What?"

I handed her _Witch Weekly._

"Phoebe Halliwell: sexy seductress. Well, this looks interesting."

"It gets better. Read on."

"Phoebe Halliwell, one of the infamous Charmed Sisters, has been married for only a few months, but she has already proven her inability to commit herself to one man, for one man is not enough for her. While the identity of her husband is unknown, it is known that she has had several fights with him. Many, if not all, of those fights have ended with Phoebe spending the night with another man.

"Phoebe has always been known for her promiscuity. She was once married to the Source of All Evil and nearly bore his heir. New information shows that she recently attended a date auction where she picked up several men. She even once promoted multiple sex partners in her muggle column, Ask Phoebe. She is now pregnant, but we cannot be sure who the father is. Oh, they even have a picture of you when you were the goddess of love. Why are they getting on your case?"'

"Our case, actually." I handed her another tabloid.

"The Halliwell Sisters: Charmed and dangerous. Now that's creative," Piper dryly said.

"Just wait until you read what they wrote."

"Must I?"

"It's quite amusing."

"The Charmed Ones are known by all people everywhere. They are seen as heroes, but is that really what they are? Our sources reveal that they may not be as good as they claim. To find evidence of this, simply look at their powers. Paige Matthews has the ability to erase memories. No spell can undo her power. There's no telling what she may have done. Piper Halliwell's power is also full of potential for evil. She is able to freeze anyone. She can get into any place, no matter how well it's protected.

"An objective look at the sisters' past also reveals some interesting things. Phoebe Halliwell was once the Queen of the Underworld. She had the powers of evil. Before that, she aided in the escape of many demons. Piper Halliwell too has been touched by evil. She has been involved with countless demons and warlocks. Prue Halliwell has betrayed her sisters before, and she may do it again. Paige Halliwell had her own group of demons. She even once posed as a demon. After sixteen years away from the magical world, these four women are back on the scene. Can we really trust them? All those with an ounce of sense know that the answer is no."

"I should make everyone call me Queen Phoebe," I said. "Then I'll take on Morrigan's form and make a public appearance."

"Sounds like a good time to me."

Paige and Prue walked in. "What's up with all the cookies?"

"I had an urge to cook."

"Oh."

"I have this morning's entertainment." I showed them the wonderful tabloids.

"So what do you think?" I asked.

"Pull!"

I threw it up into the air. Paige set it on fire. The ashes fell to the ground and she healed them.

"Pull!"

This time, I shredded it.

"Pull!"

Prue liquefied it.

"Pull!"

Piper tried to blow it up. Instead of it blowing up, small pink flowers appeared. "Oh no! Not the flowers!" she groaned. "Why is it that my children must turn my powers into something prettier?"

"It's what they do. Well, that was fun. Prue, if you'll do the final honors."

She did so gladly. "How did you end up with that junk anyways?"

"Someone sent it to me," I said.

"One of our many enemies?"

"Probably. Maybe it was Blanca Davis."

"Ugh, don't even mention her name," Paige said. "She was the worst Slytherin ever."

"Yeah. I'll never forget the time she knocked you out."

"Neither will I. You think she could have at least picked a better time."

"Oh no," Piper said.

"What?"

"The baby's kicking." She desperately tried to freeze time, but she could only produce pink flowers.

The room spun around us. An eternity passed before it stopped. When it did, we were in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Piper hastily turned us invisible.

"Where's Piper?"

I recognized that voice. It was mine.

"I don't know. I haven't seen her all day. Ahh!" That was Paige. She had screamed because a crazy owl was flying around the Hall. "What the heck is wrong with that owl?" It flew out of the hall. "Well, at least it's gone."

"That was you, wasn't it?" I whispered to Piper. We were lucky that no one could hear us. The Hall was too crowded.

"Yes. I got stuck in owl form."

"Wait. Here it comes," Paige said.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, Blanca, but I'm not fighting you," past Paige said.

Blanca didn't say anything. She just punched Paige, knocking her out. Teachers swooped down on her.

All hell broke loose at that point. A demon appeared, a powerful one with a bad attitude.

"Damn!" past me swore, jumping out of the way as the demon hurled a fireball at her. "Blanca, you idiot!" She ran over to the demon, avoiding its various attacks. "Come on!" She levitated into the air, kicking the demon in the face. She remained in the air, kicking the crap out of the demon. "Not so tough, are you?" She landed and kicked the demon off its feet. "Bzap!" It was a sound effect that I used to like to add to the dsamni spell. As soon as that demon was gone, another popped up.

"Whoo!" She did a complicated levitating twirl and punched the demon a few times. "I can feel the hate. Now give me that energy ball." She channeled his power and turned the ball on him. "Regenerative, eh? Just adds to the fun!" She flipped him over. "And now… _tolma!_" She caught her breath and turned to the crowd. "Now that's what call a work out." It was a performance that deserved a standing ovation. And she got it. "Thank you, thank you."

The room spun around us again. Moments later, we landed. We were still in the Great Hall, but it was two years before the last incident.

"Phoebe! Pheebs, are you all right?" Piper was shaking the past me.

"Prongs!" I heard Sirius saying.

"Uh oh." I knew this scene.

James and the past me awoke.

"Did you just call me Phoebe?"James-in-my-bodyasked Piper.

"Of course I did," Piper said. "What happened to you?"

"I—hold it. What's wrong with my voice?"

We watched as James looked down at his body, which turned out to be my body.

"Holy shit!" James and the past me screamed.

The two jumped around and looked at each other. "You stole my body!"

"I did not!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Prue said. "Wait just a minute. What's wrong with you two?"

"I'm in Phoebe's body!" James said.

"And I'm in James's body. This sucks!"

"Are you serious?" Prue asked.

"Yes!"

"This is kind of funny," I said to my sisters.

"It was funny then, too," Paige responded.

"Maybe for you. It was horrible then."

"Okay, we need to get back to our time," Piper said. "Paige has to go pick up Harry."

A few moments later, we were back in the kitchen. "Is this how your baby is going to be throughout the entire pregnancy?"

"God, I really hope not. Paige, you should get to Hogwarts now."

"I'm on it." She orbed out.

"Morning!" The boys walked in. "Cookies?"

"Don't ask," we all said.

* * *

It took Paige a while to get back. "Hermione reminds me a lot of you, Piper."

"Is that what kept you?"

"Yeah."

Suddenly, I was overcome by emotion. "Oh, I had the freakiest dream. It involved you and Voldemort. But there was a green midget in the corner, and Piper was purple, so I don't think it was a premonition, but I was so worried. I'm just so glad to see that you're safe." I started to cry.

Harry looked to Sirius.

"Don't worry," Sirius said. "She's just going crazy."

I stuck out my tongue at him. "I am not crazy!"

"You keep telling yourself that."

"I will bite you, Sirius Black."

"Not in front of everyone," he replied.

"Oh you! You're going to scar Harry."

"He's been with you most of the summer. The damage has already been done."

"Well—" He cut my words short by kissing me. "Cheater," I pouted.

"You know you love it."

My empathy tingled within me. I recognized the feeling, and I knew who was feeling it. I didn't quite understand, though.

"We went back into the past today…"

* * *

**Paige **

I breathed in deeply and went into the proud warrior pose. Prue liked meditation. I liked yoga. Celtic music played in the background. It was relaxing, but I couldn't relax. Too many things were bothering me.

_Maybe I shouldn't have given up on Richard. No, I had to. He was going crazy with magic. He was hurting me. _

_Just like Cole. _

I sighed heavily. I had told myself that I wouldn't think of him, but my thoughts always led back to him.

_A short fling doesn't mean anything. We were young. We didn't understand love. _When Phoebe had gotten involved with Cole, I had watched. My heart had broken every single time I saw them holding each other. I had hated them. I had wanted to hurt them. _I wanted them to hurt like I had hurt. He didn't remember me. If he did, he didn't act like it. That's what hurt most. _

But Cole was dead. He was gone forever.

_Glen. He's another heartbreaker. I fell in love with him and he got married. That seems to be my luck. I always fall for the guys who are taken. Married, engaged, married with kids… I always fall for them. And I always end up getting hurt. I don't think there's a guy out there for me. Maybe I should just give up now. _

It wasn't like me to give up. I was a Halliwell, and that meant that I didn't go down without a fight. _My whole life has been a fight. Maybe this is the part where I go down. Maybe this is where I take my fall. There's something to think about. Really puts me in the Christmas spirit, especially since I'm surrounded by people who are in love. Great. _

I took in another deep breath, then went downstairs.

"Premonition! I had a premonition. A demon should be coming in around three minutes," Phoebe announced.

"Which one?"

"Nothing serious. A low level one."

"So why'd you get a premonition?"

"The baby," Phoebe said. "He keeps giving me premonitions."

"Ah."

The demon appeared. "Looks like he's early. _Furos!_"

The demon imploded. "Where is everyone?" I asked.

"Harry and Chris are sleeping in, Grams and Sirius are still up there, Piper and Remus had to go to work early, and Prue is unaccounted for."

"What do you mean?" I urgently asked. "Is she all right?"

"Calm," Phoebe said. "She's not exactly unaccounted for, if you catch my drift."

"Oh." Another reminder of my failure at love.

"Hey, what's up with this depressed feeling?"

_Empaths… Can't live with them, can't live without them. _"I've just been doing some thinking."

"About guys?"

"Yes. I've decided that I'm giving up."

"Giving up?"

"Yeah. Love is really not working out for me."

Phoebe stared at me with a suspicious look on her face. "Who are you and what have you done with Paige?"

"You act like I'm not acting like myself."

"Because you aren't. You're turning into a cynic."

"Look, I just don't believe that I'm going to find my soul mate," I said. "I figure that it'd be easier to just give up now and devote myself to fighting evil."

"You're turning into Grams."

"I am not. My original destiny was to die at the hands of the Titans. Now that I have a second chance, I think that I should make a difference."

"Still, you can't give up on love."

"I'm tired of getting hurt," I said.

"But what if your true love is waiting for you?"

"Then he'll either have to keep waiting or he'll have to come find me. I was meant for a greater thing. I'm sure of it."

"You know, I could try a premonition…"

"You're relentless, aren't you?"

"Yes," said Phoebe.

"I'm going to work."

"Hey, you're gloating!"

"Yes, I am."

"Meanie!" she called after me as I orbed out.

* * *

"Big news!" Phoebe said.

"I'm really not in the mood for big news." I sat down. I had had a hard day. Muggles really knew how to bug me.

"Too bad. Harry found his second power."

"Really?" I perked up.

"He can freeze things."

"Ah. Would that have to do with this stuff?" I motioned towards the white writing. "You used the show me spell again, didn't you?"

"Yes. It worked the last time I used it. It revealed everything then, and it did it again."

"You found out his powers?" I asked, surprised.

"Yup. Would you like to know?"

"Of course."

"He is telekinetic," Phoebe told me.

"Always useful."

"And he can orb."

"He can orb?" Of all the powers, I had definitely not expected that. "How is that possible?"

"You were involved in the spell. It's because of you."

"Interesting." I looked at her. She seemed… tense. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Sure. Come on. Tell me. You got to analyze me."

"It's just… well, could you do me a favor? You're a people person."

"No. Whatever it is, no," I said. "You're a people person too. You can take care of whatever it is."

"I guess…."

"Are you going to give me any details?"

"Nah. I'll take care of it."

I could tell that it was really bothering her. "You sure?"

"Yeah."

* * *

"Paige! Ah have nawt seen ya in such a while," Emma said with a heavy southern accent. She was the owner of a magical pawnshop.

"Hey, Em. Got anything good?" I asked, idly looking at the various things dotting the shelves.

"As a matter of fact, ah do." She led me to the other room. "What do ya think?"

I saw it and fell in love. "It's… it's beautiful." I went up to it and ran my hand along the smooth wood. It was a large grandfather clock. "I'll take it. There are no hidden quirks, right?"

"Other than the fact tha' it runs on magic, it's normal."

"Then it's coming home with me."

"Ah like ya Paige. Never indecisive."

I smiled. I knew that Piper would have a fit. She had almost gone insane when I had started my obsession with pawnshops. She would just love the fact that I was addicted again.

I was setting up the clock when Piper came in. I continued, pretending that she wasn't there. I could feel her annoyance growing because of that fact.

"Paige?" I could hear the warning in her voice.

"Yes?" I asked innocently.

"What the heck is this?" Piper questioned, eyeing the clock as if it were an invader.

"My new baby," I said, patting the wood. "It's a grandfather clock. Isn't it beautiful?"

"No. It's hideous."

"Okay, so it's not as pretty as some other clocks, but this has charm. I love it."

"Paige, did you get it from a magical pawnshop?"

"No, of course not. I stopped doing that a while ago."

She frowned at me.

"Maybe. Yes."

"Paige, you know that those shops are bad news. First of all, they're technically not supposed to exist. Second, there's always some little quirk. Do you know what the quirk is?"

"It doesn't have a power source. It always updates itself. That's the only thing that's magical about it."

"You know, I was rather expecting that you would get a dog or something," Piper said.

I sighed heavily. "Have you been talking to Phoebe?"

"Yes. I agree with her. You shouldn't give up on love."

I rolled my eyes and turned back to the clock. The small door to it was open, and inside I could see something. I pulled the thing out. "Hey, there's a set of tarot cards in here."

"Get rid of those," Piper urged.

"Aren't you overreacting? They're just cards."

"You know that they could be dangerous. Get rid of them."

I rolled my eyes again. "We're talking about cards, not demons. Here, I'll do a spread for you."

"I'm not touching them," she said stiffly.

"Fine. I'll deal." I shuffled and laid out the cards. "The empress. That's definitely you." I flipped over the next card. "You're being influenced by the hermit."

"That would be you."

"Why thank you," I said dryly. "Your goal is the sun. Past foundation… strength. Recent past events… the moon?" This was an odd reading. "Future influence… justice. Attitude… The high priestess. Well, I suppose that's right. Environment… Now this has to be wrong. The eight of swords? Hidden emotions… knight of swords. Final result… the magician. See what happens when you don't shuffle the cards yourself? This is all wrong." I gathered the cards up. Two cards fell out: the tower and the ace of swords.

"This is a sign. You need to get rid of those cards," Piper said.

"I'll do it in the morning." I hated to admit it, but the cards gave me the creeps. _They're just cards. _

Out of nowhere, thunder started to rumble through the sky.

"Hold it. Why is there a storm?"

"There isn't a storm. It's not raining or snowing."

I went over to the window. As I watched, a bolt of lightning hit the roof. I screamed, expecting that the roof would catch on fire, but it didn't. A huge crown fell down to the ground. I gaped at it. "Piper! Something is going on."


	13. A Pixielicious Pooka

**Prue **

The first thing I noticed about the house was that it had become a castle. "Now what?" I groaned and skipped up to the house. "Hello? What the heck is up with the house? Whoa!"

A woman wearing a cloak and holding a walking stick came over to me. "It's me, Paige."

"You look… different. Is this a permanent thing? Why has the house become a castle?"

"Long story," Paige said. "We're still trying to sort out what happened."

"Where's Piper?"

"This way." She led me down the hall. Piper was sitting on a cushioned throne. She was wearing a long dress and a crown of stars. "Hi," Piper said. "I'm the empress, apparently."

"Empress?" I repeated.

"Yeah. Paige is the hermit."

"Are you talking about tarot cards?"

"That's correct. Paige brought home a bewitched clock. It had a set of tarot cards in it. Paige used them and now…." She trailed off.

"Has anything else been affected?"

"We haven't checked yet," Paige said.

"Well, let's do that then."

We went down another long hallway.

"I was waiting for you." We had located Phoebe. She was wearing a grown and a headdress. She was holding the Torah. Behind her there was a banner and two pillars. At her feet there was a crescent moon. "Is it just me, or am I the high priestess?"

"It's just you," I said. "So you've turned into the tarot cards?"

"Apparently," Piper said.

"Okay then. Where's everyone else?"

"Let's look. We'd better keep together."

"Yeah. Who knows what could be waiting for us."

I was just about to go down another hallway when I was yanked off to another place. A blindfold appeared around my head. I could feel loose cloth winding its way around my body. A few clangs sounded. _Blindfold and swords… wait, this must be the eight of swords._

A few minutes later, I heard my name being called. "I'm right here!"

"The eight of swords." The blindfold was slipped off, and I saw Piper. "Come on. Let's go find everyone else."

"Right." We went back up to the house.

"Girls, what's going on?" Grams was wearing a long white gown with a garland wrapped around it. A lion was sitting next to her.

"Um… You've become the tarot card, strength," Paige said.

"I see."

"You stay here. We're going to find everyone else."

We went up the stairs. A horse was at the end of the hallway. Harry was on it. He was dressed in a suit of armor.

"Knight of swords," I concluded.

Piper opened one of the many doors. "I've found the magician."

We looked into the room. Sirius was standing there. He was dressed in robes. The table in front of him had a sword, a cup, a pentacle, and a staff on it. "What—"

"We'll explain in a moment," I interrupted.

Phoebe opened another door. "Hey, Chris. You must be justice."

He came out of the room. He was carrying a sword and balance, and he was wearing a cape and robes. There was a crown on his head. "I assume you have an explanation."

"In a moment."

"Here's the sun," Paige said. Wyatt came out riding on horse. A sun was following him closely.

"And now for door number four…" I opened the door. "I'll assume that that's Remus."

"What do you mean by that?" Piper asked and came over.

A crab, a dog, and a wolf were sitting near a pool of water, looking up at a moon.

"Okay, everyone downstairs." Piper picked up Wyatt and we went downstairs.

"Where did this clock come from?" Grams asked, eyeing Paige suspiciously. "Because it has an interesting aura."

"Look, it was the _cards_, not the clock," Paige said.

"You found the cards in the clock," Piper pointed out. She prepared to blow up the clock.

"No! I love this clock!" Paige squeaked.

"It's obviously evil," Grams said.

"Obviously?" Paige scoffed. Then she sought a different method. "Well, you shouldn't just go and blow it up. Who knows what might happen. Besides, there's something about the inner compartment of it."

"We're not going to open it," Piper argued.

"We have to," Paige said. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Use your imagination."

"Stand back," Phoebe said. "You're all being to indecisive."

"Get away from there." I yanked her back.

"I'll open it," Grams said. "I'm already dead. Nothing can happen to me."

We stood back as she opened the clock door.

A misty form appeared. We all attacked it, but nothing happened to it. It disappeared back into the clock.

"What the hell was that?" I asked.

"I don't know," Piper said. "All we know is that Paige used some cards that she found in the clock. This whole situation must've been caused by whatever's in the clock."

"Do you think the attic's where we should be?" Phoebe asked.

"Only one way to find out."

An orb later, we were up in the attic. The sword had been turned into the ace of swords.

"Anything in there about clock dwelling demons?"

"Not yet. Wait… I may have something." I scanned the page. "Pookas."

"Pookas? Mischievous spirits?" Paige said. "Is that what that was?"

"Well, it fits the profile. I think we might even have a clyotic pooka."

"Clyotic?"

"It's a pooka that likes to take advantage of denial," I read.

"What could we possibly be in denial about?" Phoebe wondered.

"I don't know. It might not even be all of us. Paige, I think you're in denial about love. That's why you became the hermit."

"Love? I'm not in denial about love. I merely see it for what it is. It's a pointless venture."

"Cynic," Phoebe said.

"Are you sure that the real reason why you're doing this is not that you're feeling lonely?" I asked.

"Are you analyzing me?" Paige said.

"Yes."

"I am not lonely."

"Then why are you feeling lonely?" Phoebe said.

"Okay, so maybe I am a little lonely… Or a lot." She morphed back into herself.

I looked at my sisters. "Are you two in denial?"

"No…" Phoebe said, avoiding my gaze.

"Yes, you are. Just admit it. It's the only way you'll change back to your usual self."

"Well…. I feel responsible for all the stuff that happened after we left." Phoebe became herself.

"Piper?"

She sighed. "I worry about the affect Melinda will have on Wyatt." She returned to her original form.

"And what about you, Prue?" Paige asked.

"Why would I be in denial?"

"You haven't changed."

"Okay, okay… I feel guilty because I helped to heap this destiny on Harry."

I changed back, as did the house and the sword. "Now for the pooka."

"Wait," said Paige. "We should check out the others."

"You go do that. I'll work on a spell." It didn't take me long to do that. It was the same with my sisters. They came back up with Harry. He was still the knight.

"We have a slight problem."

_Jealousy,_ I heard Phoebe think. She looked into my eyes, knowing that I had heard.

I nodded. "You take care of the pooka." I was left alone with Harry.

_Am I really in denial? Why would I be in denial?_

"I know that this is a hard thing to do, but you have to admit what's bothering you, even if it's only to yourself."

_It couldn't be Sirius and Phoebe. I don't have a problem with them. _

Sirius and Phoebe? Of course. _Sirius used to be all alone. Now he has Phoebe and their son. Harry probably feels out of place… and a little jealous. _"Has anyone told you about Sirius and Phoebe's history?"

"No, but I guess that Sirius and Phoebe must have been pretty close at Hogwarts."

"No, they were actually worst enemies up until their last two years," I said.

"How did that happen?" he asked, surprised.

"They got into a fight on the Hogwarts Express. The Marauders decided to do something about her and cast a control spell on her."

"Control spell?"

"It limits a person's vocabulary. Phoebe was quite resistant, so Sirius couldn't cast the spell on her on his own. They worked together as a group. That's how the feud started. The war didn't begin until later. Sirius had a habit of charming every girl he met. He tried that on Phoebe and she was less than receptive. She cursed him, in fact. They officially became enemies. Then in her sixth year, she thought she was going to be expelled. On her last day of freedom, she admitted to Sirius that she liked him. She didn't get expelled and they hooked up. Hatred creates passion, and in their case, it led to sparks."

_What about my parents? My mom hated my dad._

"Lily had a lot of problems with James. She started to like him in her sixth year, but she didn't do anything about it. Phoebe knew it and was determined to do something. However, she couldn't use any of her spells. On Phoebe's orders, Piper cast the bad girl spell on Lily, allowing her to claim James." I smiled at the memory. Phoebe's bad girl spell had always been entertaining.

He suddenly morphed back to his usual form.

_Ah, the fun of being a Halliwell._ "Let's hope that tomorrow is better than today."

* * *

"What's wrong with you two?" I asked Phoebe and Piper. They were sitting on the couch, watching the TV and crying. "It's Christmas! You should be happy."

"This is so sad. Stone is dead."

"And Robin has HIV. It's so tragic!"

"You're watching soaps?" I laughed.

"Hey, they have a lot of heart."

"They also have evil twins, people coming back from the dead, and other ridiculous things. Let's watch something better." I picked up the remote.

"No!" they both shrieked and tore the remote out of my hands. "We can't switch to something else in the middle of the episode!"

"Okay."

"You know, if you would just watch one episode, you would understand," Phoebe said.

"I will not watch this junk."

"Junk? Sit down!" Piper yanked me down. Phoebe explained what was going on. By the end of the episode, I was crying too. The boys walked in.

"What happened here?" Sirius asked.

"Tragedy! I can't believe that I ever thought that soaps are junk."

"Soaps? That—"

"Don't even go there!"

"Right…"

Harry froze. He had had a vision.

"What did you see?"

"Just Phoebe."

Piper thoughtfully said, "It seems like the world is screaming, 'look at Phoebe!', don't you think?"

We all looked at Phoebe.

"Cut that out," Phoebe said. "It's creepy. And what makes you say that?"

"Piper's baby took us all to the past where we saw your finest moments. Plus there are the tabloids."

"The people at the tabloids just hate me. And why would they be guided by supernatural forces?"

"It's not that they're being guided. Why do you think someone sent those tabloids to us?"

She shrugged. "It's probably nothing."

"But it could be something," I said. "So what are we supposed to be seeing?"

We contemplated this.

"Maybe we're not supposed to be looking at Phoebe," Piper said slowly. "Maybe we're supposed to be looking here." She placed her hand on the slight bulge in Phoebe's stomach.

"The baby just kicked," Phoebe said. "Is that just a coincidence?"

"There are rarely ever coincidences in this family."

"Piper, I think you may be onto something."

* * *

**Piper **

"Wait, they're saying that we can't see Leo anymore?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Sirius said.

We were speechless, but only for a moment. "But why?"

"The Elders think that he should concentrate on his duties."

"But he has a son down here. Even though Piper isn't married to him anymore, we're still connected to him," Paige said.

"That's just it," Sirius said.

"Huh?"

"Think about it."

"Do they want us to concentrate on defeating Voldemort?" I asked.

"Yes. They screwed up and they don't want to admit it. They're working on damage control now and they need your help. They don't want you to get distracted by Leo."

"That's ridiculous," Phoebe said. "You go up there and tell them that we want to see Leo."

"Or we might have to take a little break from this," I added.

He orbed out.

"The Elders never cease to surprise me. They're some kind of bag of tricks, aren't they?"

"Unfortunately. Hey, have you noticed that we haven't been attacked since the pooka appeared?" Paige said.

"Of course we have," I responded. "We shouldn't talk about it. Whenever we think things are calm, some demon shows up. It's the power of words."

"The power of words?" Paige scoffed. "Coincidence."

"You know the coincidence doesn't work in this situation. Words do have a lot of power. Just look at spells."

"Spells are used in conjunction with a wand," Paige replied.

"We use spells without wands," Phoebe said.

"But we're much more powerful than most people."

"Still, the wrong words in a spell make it fail," Prue said. "Words are powerful and you should be careful with them."

Paige realized that she had been beaten. "Well… Let's talk about something else."

"Could you believe today's episode?" Phoebe asked.

"Not that!" Paige covered her ears. "I hate soap operas."

"Why?"

"Because they're so out there."

"You know, our life is like a soap opera. We have people coming back to life, constant drama, and tons of secrets. Our life would make a good television show," Phoebe said.

"Who'd want to watch our life?" Paige asked.

"Everyone. We have a fascinating life. We could make one of those reality shows…"

"You do know that you're weird, don't you?"

"Me weird? Ridiculous."

Chris walked in. Paige turned to him and said, "Chris, isn't Phoebe weird?"

"Um…"

"See?"

She hit her on the arm. "What kind of a sister are you?"

"Hey, this is what sisters are for."

Sirius orbed back in. "They say that you can see Leo again."

"Now that's more like it. Why isn't he with you?"

"They're trying to figure out what Voldemort is up to. His plans have apparently changed." He paused. "They're calling for me. I'll be back."

Chris waited until Sirius was gone to say, "Look, I don't think you four should really see Leo anymore."

"God, not you too," I said. "What's your problem with him?"

"Well, he… he just needs to concentrate on a few things," Chris said.

"You think we're distracting him," Prue said.

Chris shook his head. "Never mind. forget I said anything."

"Chris…"

"Shoot, I think I left my curling iron on," Paige said.

"Why would you use a curling iron? They have great hair spells, you know."

"Those always look so artificial. I like the real thing." She went upstairs.

A strange sensation went through my body. "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

I started to answer, but a man appeared, cutting my words short. I immediately knew that he was a warlock. Before we could react, he stabbed Phoebe's stomach and knocked us down with a spell. Phoebe fell to the floor… So did Chris. I hadn't seen the warlock stab him. I flicked my fingers, and the warlock imploded. "Paige! Sirius!" They appeared. "Heal them!" They quickly healed them.

"Voldemort wants the third child dead," Phoebe said, her eyes full of fear. "I'm not going to let him."

"We will never let him hurt your son." Everything had changed. Strange how often that happened with us.

* * *

Spring came soon. The first day of spring was filled with a sudden bout of nausea for Phoebe.

"Phoebe, are you okay?" I asked from the other side of the bathroom door.

"No!" she said from within the bathroom. "I only have two more months to go, yet I still have to endure this."

Needless to say, it was a bad day. Paige just made it more complicated.

We were sitting in the living room when Paige came in. "Spring has sprung!" she said and giggled like crazy. She then tried to stand on her head. "Watch this!" She fell over.

"Paige, what is up with you?" I asked, my eyebrow raised. This was definitely not characteristic of Paige.

"Nothing! I just feel great!"

"Do you have sillinsusa?" I could really not stand another bout of sillinsusa.

"Nope!"

"Don't tell me that you've been eating…"

"Madame Perkin's Pixie Sticks!" we all groaned.

"Maybe." She grinned. "They are the most pixielicious sticks around."

"The last time you ate those, you went streaking through Diagon Alley," Prue said. "Everyone saw you. I still can't believe that James gave you that stuff."

"Ah yes, I remember that," Phoebe said. "She ate one pixie stick and screamed, 'I am the gypsy queen!' Then she orbed out of her clothes and started to run around. As I recall, we spent a good two hours trying to catch her. Of course, time had stopped, so I can't be sure."

"Hey, that sounds like fun!"

"Don't even think of it!"

"You guys should try this. Really, it's great." She handed Prue a stick.

"Well, I've always wondered what they're like…"

"Don't!" Phoebe and I cried in vain.

She took a tiny taste. "Wow! That's the most amazing thing ever!" She gulped down the rest of the stick. "I'm so energized! Let's go hunt some demons!"

"Yeah!"

They left.

"Should we go after them?"

"No. They'll come back eventually." I shook my head. "Pixie sticks. I thought she had learned her lesson last time."

"Apparently not. Oh no." She ran out of the room.

_Poor Phoebe. I know exactly how she feels. _I was worried about her, but it wasn't because of her problem. It was because of the fact that Voldemort wanted her child dead. _But he should know that he can't kill the baby. What is he up to?_ I just didn't know.

* * *

"I'm bored. Let's go out," Paige said.

"I don't want to go out. I feel like I'm about to pop. Just look at me!" I said. I was into my ninth month and I felt so… round.

"You look beautiful."

"Come on, Piper. You're turning into a recluse." Prue dragged me off the couch.

"I'm too pregnant to go out."

"There's no such thing."

"All right. I'll go." I begrudgingly apparated to Diagon Alley with them. "Where do you want to go?"

"Well, we could go to a magical pawnshop…" Paige said.

"No!"

"Just kidding."

"I need a new cloak," Phoebe spoke.

"Need or want?" I asked.

"Can't it be both?"

The owner of the shop was an Italian man. Phoebe, who was now multilingual, chatted with him in Italian while I wondered why had gone out. I really was too pregnant. Pregnancy was great, but I wanted to see my baby, hold her in my arms.

"Thanks, Lorenzo. Come on, sisters. Piper, would you stop looking so miserable? It's a beautiful day. The fresh air is doing you good."

"Bah," I replied. We walked on to the next shop. I stopped suddenly something broke within me and water began to run down my legs.

"What is it?" Prue asked.

"My water just broke."

"Oh."


	14. Oh Baby!

**Phoebe **

"I can't stand the waiting," I complained hours later. We were waiting for the baby to be born. I wished that we could see Melinda being born, but that wasn't possible. Instead, we had to stay in the waiting room. "Well, the baby seems excited. He's doing the tarantella on my kidneys."

"You can see her now," the nurse finally told us.

We hurried to her. "It is a girl, right?"

"Yes. Melinda Lily Halliwell. Don't freak out when you see her." She turned the baby towards us.

"Whoa!" Paige yelped.

I couldn't blame her for her reaction. Melinda was, well, different. She was a beautiful baby. She definitely looked like a Halliwell, except she had glowing gold eyes, wolf ears, and a tail.

"She's a born animagus," Piper said. "I guess that that's what happens when the parents are both animagi."

The baby smiled and her eyes and ears became normal. The tail disappeared.

"Well," I said. "It seems that she can control it. She's beautiful, Piper." _I didn't see that one coming. _

It wasn't long before the nurse shooed us out. "She needs her rest."

"Looks like we have another Madam Pomfrey on our hands," I muttered as we went home. "What—" Images flashed before my eyes.

"_Phoebe…"Piper said. "The Elders are certain that he's dead. They can't sense him. You can't sense him."_

"_Don't tell me to give up. I will find him."_

"_We have to concentrate on changing Wyatt's future."_

"_I can't do that." Fear filled my heart. "No. He's coming."_

Pain burst through my body. Something was wrong.

"Phoebe, Phoebe, what's wrong?" Someone was holding me.

"Chris. Find Chris now." Struggling, I was able to break through the pain. Just then, Chris orbed in.

"I heard you calling for me."

A darklighter appeared. I knocked Chris down and fired a spell at the darklighter. He disappeared before the spell could hit him.

"Not more darklighters," Chris muttered.

"Unfortunately, it seems that they've found a target. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Without warning, I went into Morrigan mode. That was useful, for another darklighter appeared at that moment.

"You never mess with a mother," I said coolly and held out my hand. The darklighter was instantly vanquished.

"_Finally," _a voice sighed.

* * *

"Oh, she is just the most adorable thing in the world!" I cooed.

"Phoebe, you aren't going to start with that crazy obsession again, are you?" Piper asked.

"No. Soon I'll have my own bundle of joy to adore." That reminded me of something that I really didn't want to think about. It had been bothering me ever since Melinda had been born. Piper was the only one who would be able to help me. "Piper, how bad is giving birth?"

She eyed me. "Do I sense a bit of worry in your voice?"

"Well… Yes. Does it really hurt?"

"It's not so much the pain. It's more the duration, though the pain is significant. It's overwhelming, but you can handle it."

"I was afraid that you would say that." I looked down at my stomach. Soon the baby would be coming. He would come in May. I was sure of it.

"Come on, Pheebs. You can't tell me that you're afraid of giving birth."

"I am. I'm afraid that something will go wrong and that it'll hurt like hell."

"You're kind of stuck there. You're eight months pregnant. You really can't change your mind now."

"I know."

"You could use some spells to alleviate the pain," Piper suggested.

"I don't want to do that," I responded. "I want a natural birth. Sirius and I discussed it. That's what we think is best."

"He's not the one giving birth. It's your decision."

"You were able to get through two births without any magical aid."

"You don't have to live up to my past."

"That's what you say."

"Who's going to judge you?"

"You're not supposed to argue with me. I'm pregnant."

"That excuse only works with men."

"I hate it when you're right." I placed my hand on my stomach.

"Phoebe, you have to relax. Stressing yourself out won't help the baby. Sirius's support will help you out a lot. As long as you focus on your goal, the pain won't be as bad. You're going to bring that little boy into the world, and that's all that matters."

"You're really good at being a big sister."

"Practice makes perfect. Speaking of big sisters, Prue told me that you went into Morrigan mode without even trying. How did that happen?"

"I don't know. I heard us talking in the future, then I felt this horrible pain. I think it was a combination of a premonition and my empathy." I told her what I had heard. "Do you think that has to do with Chris?"

"Unless Chris is your son, no."

"What makes you so sure?"

"In Chris's future, your son was gone. I guess the conversation you heard relates to what I saw. What would Chris have to do with that?"

"I guess you're right." The possibility she had introduced was intriguing. "Do you think Chris could be my son in the future?"

She laughed. "God, I hope not. I love Chris, but he tends to have an attitude. He really doesn't seem like a Halliwell. Besides, we already found Chris's father."

"Oh yeah. I forgot about him."

"We have been caught up in all this Voldemort stuff," Piper said.

"Don't we have a meeting coming up soon?"

"Yes. Dumbledore wants to have a meeting in early May. Grams will be able to orb all the teachers off the grounds and to the Black house."

"He must really want this meeting," I said.

"Yeah. Soon all three children will be together. That means that Voldemort will strike. We have to go over some stuff before he does."

"I still can't figure out why Voldemort had someone try to kill my baby."

"It's not easy to understand Voldemort. He's a complicated whatever he is."

"What would he be considered?"

"I don't know. He's not human; he's not demon. He's kind of in between."

"Well, whatever he is, he's going down soon."

"But how soon?" Piper wondered. "I don't want to force Harry to go through that yet. He's still so young."

"The final battle with Voldemort won't take place for a while. We just have to hold Voldemort back until Harry is ready," I said. "You really fit the mother description."

"That's not hard to do. I am a mother, after all. That makes me wonder about Morrigan. Do you think she watched us before she put herself into us?"

"I think she's been with us for a while. Back before we went back to San Francisco, I was able to channel her powers." I thought back to that day. "There's something, though, that doesn't add up when it comes to Morrigan."

"What?"

"She talked directly to Dumbledore. How could he have known her, though? She's an ancient spirit."

"It could be reincarnation," Piper said.

"That would make sense."

"It's one of the few things that does."

"Tell me about it," I said. "One minute, we think we have everything figured out. The next minute, we're in a morgue."

"But you got to love this life."

"Whoa. Do my ears deceive me? I thought that you hated being Charmed."

Piper smiled a little. "It's easier to accept now. Something tells me that this will all even out one day."

"We can only hope."

* * *

"Phoebe, quit dragging your feet. What's up with you today, anyways?" Paige called from downstairs.

"I don't know," I said as I came down. "I guess I'm just a little tense. My delivery date is next week."

"You shouldn't worry about that."

"You sound just like Piper."

"Of all the people I know, you're the last person I would expect to panic over giving birth."

"Hey, you're not the one with a loaf in the oven. Where is Prue?"

"I'm right here," she said as she descended the stairs. "Piper can't come with us. She's going to stay with Melinda and Wyatt. Sirius and Remus are coming, though. They'll meet us at the headquarters."

"Okay. Let's go. Phoebe?"

"Yeah?"

"You still seem sluggish."

"I'll walk it off." I was feeling kind of funny. It was probably just nerves. "I'll be fine." We disapparated over to the headquarters. We were greeted by Mrs. Weasley. She liked us a lot. When the tabloids had attacked us, she had attacked them.

"Come in." We went into the kitchen and sat down. The odd feeling still hadn't left me.

"Hello, Halliwells," Dumbledore said. "Where is Piper?"

"Piper had to stay with Wyatt and Melinda," Prue said.

"Ah. Well, let's begin. Have you found out anything more?"

"Yes. Voldemort will try to kill the third child once he is born. He knows that he'll be a danger to him. That's what we believe, anyways," Prue said.

"How did you discover this?"

"A warlock tried to kill the baby. Voldemort isn't stupid," Paige said. "He knew that he couldn't do it. We're still trying to find out why he did this."

"We're going to try Morrigan mode to find out."

"You've been working on that?" He seemed pleased.

"Yes. We'll soon get over the need for emotion."

Suddenly, something burst within me. My water had broken. _This is not good. _I tried to stay calm. _Just wait until the end of the meeting. It won't be long…_

"Phoebe, are you okay?" Prue asked. I must have been showing my surprise.

"Yeah, I'm fine." _It'll take a couple of hours. I'll be able to get through this. _The first contraction hit. _So this is what it's like to be in labor. _It was really hard to pretend to be fine. _Think about something else. You'll be fine. _I breathed in deeply. _I think they'll notice if I start doing Lamaze. _

The meeting really dragged. I couldn't concentrate on what everyone was saying. _I can do this… I can do this… Will this meeting ever end? _Dumbledore began a new topic. _No, it will never end. _

"What do you think, Phoebe?" Prue asked me.

"Oh, uh…" Another contraction hit me, catching me off guard and knocking the wind out of me.

"Oh my God," Prue said.

"You're in labor!" every woman in the room exclaimed.

"No! No, I'm not due for another week."

"You are in labor. Let's go," Paige commanded.

"No!" I said. "Yes. I'm in labor. But labor lasts forever. I can get through this meeting, really."

"Come on."

Sirius grabbed me and orbed me to the hospital.

"I'll be okay…"

* * *

"Ouch. Ow, I really don't like this. I knew that this would be painful, but I didn't realize it would last this long. I imagined what this would be like, but I didn't see this coming." I was rather sure that Sirius couldn't feel his hand anymore. That was okay. I was going through the most intense thing ever. Was it wrong to share the experience?

"Phoebe, you're giving birth. Breathe, don't talk," Sirius said.

There was no need to tell me. I was officially out of breath. Labor was intense and overwhelming. _How many hours has this been? _

"One more push."

I caught my breath. "Wait. I don't have one more push."

"You have to do this," Sirius said. "You can't back out now."

"I'm all pushed out. I can't do this."

"Yes you can."

"Okay, okay. Here we go." _Just one more push… Just one big push…_ "Aaauugh!"

Next, I heard the sound of my son. "You did it Phoebe," Sirius said. "You brought our son into the world."

When that baby boy was placed my arms, it was love at first sight. I knew that I had been waiting my entire life for this moment. "Look what we made. Nicolas Anthony Halliwell." I had tears in my eyes. I had never been so happy. The bonds of motherhood were wonderful. Being a mother was an amazing thing. I knew that I would never, ever let anyone hurt my son. I would protect him with my life. Voldemort would never get his hands on my baby. Never.

* * *

**Paige **

"He looks just like his father," I commented. My little nephew was so adorable.

"Yes. He's going to grow up to be a handsome little devil. Let's just hope that his father doesn't teach him how to charm the ladies."

"Hey, I resent that," Sirius said. "My charms worked on you."

"Yeah right. I cursed you after you tried that on me."

"You were a challenge."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "No wonder you didn't get me until I decided that I wanted you."

"_You're losing touch with yourself, Paige."_

Wait a minute. _Did I just hear that? _Phoebe and Sirius hadn't heard. Had I just imagined that?

"_You're losing touch with me."_

I was officially freaked out.

"Meditation time," Piper announced.

"Urgh… Not meditation," I groaned. "Leo always made us do that stuff. It's his fault that Prue is so into meditation."

"Do I have to do this?" Phoebe asked nervously. "I don't exactly want to let my guard down."

"I think Sirius can handle it."

"Well, I—"

Piper grabbed her and dragged us up to the attic. _Maybe I should tell them about what I heard… But hearing voices isn't exactly good thing, even in our family. _Piper had heard Wyatt's cries when the Cleaners had taken him. _Still, that's not much of a basis. My powers are kind of messed up lately. Maybe that's it. _I knew that my powers were messed up because my emotions were getting the better of me. I wasn't handling them or myself very well. Perhaps the meditation could help with that. _I doubt it. _

"Sit down and close your eyes," Prue instructed.

"You're totally turning into Leo," I said as I did so.

"Hush. Relax and take a deep breath. As you exhale, release all the negative energy in your body. Clear your mind of all your thoughts and connect with yourself," she continued.

_I've been losing touch with myself. This is really getting weird. _I smirked. _I should be used to these oddities. I have been with this family for a while. _

"You guys aren't trying. I can hear you thinking."

"That's not fair. You're a telepath."

"Just clear your mind. Go into yourself."

_I've never understood that. I can do it, but I still can't understand exactly what happens._

"I heard that."

_Okay. I've got to clear my mind. Take away the negative emotions… take away my doubt… take away the distractions…_ My breathing became even and steady. My mind was clear. I was retreating to the depths of my soul. I was going back… but back where?

My awareness of the world around me had faded. I was only aware of myself and the light of my soul.

"_Paige," _a beautiful voice whispered. _"Paige, come walk with me."_

"_Yes." _I stepped into the light.

A woman appeared next to me. She had long black hair and the strangest eyes. They were constantly shifting colors, from green to purple to gray to blue. _"Do you know who I am?"_

"_You're Morrigan."_

She nodded. _"You've been losing touch with your core. You doubt yourself and your future, don't you?"_

"_Yes. I don't believe that I will end up where I want to go."_

"_But you will. The only thing that's holding you back is you."_

"_What do you mean?" I asked. _

"_You cannot see yourself for who you truly are," Morrigan answered. "You're lost in the image of the past. You see yourself as a lost child, unworthy of love. Is that who you really are, Paige?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_Yes, you do. You have come searching for the answers. They've been within your soul all along. You know who you are. You just have to tell yourself. What are you?"_

I reached for the strength within me. It had been there all along. _"I am strong and confident. I am powerful."_

"_And do you deserve love?"_

"_Yes, I do."_

"_You've been waiting for someone to tell you that. At least that's what you thought," Morrigan said, "for they have been telling you that for years. You didn't want to listen, though. You've been lost for a while."_

"_How do you know all this?" I asked._

"_I have seen into your heart, your mind, and your soul. I have watched over you and your sisters for so long. Do you believe that you can find yourself?"_

"_I'm not sure."_

She smiled. _"You don't need to find yourself, Paige."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You never lost yourself. You've just been waiting. I've been waiting too." _She stopped and turned to me. _"But there is another who is waiting. He is waiting for the right moment to destroy you. If you aren't careful, he may be able to do that. I give you invincibility, but until you overcome your most powerful emotions, it will be useless. That is your final challenge. You must beat your most powerful emotion. Only then will you be able to tap into the full power. Only then will you prove your own power. You draw closer to the final step, but it is still very far away."_

"_How can I reach it?"_

"_That is something you must discover on your own. I am only your guide. I give you power, but I do that only because you have great power. My power comes from my mind, and as you know, there is a balance of mind, body, and spirit. You have control over your mind and body. Now you must gather control over you spirit. That is where your emotions come from. You are a healer, yet your loneliness is blocking you from that power. Will you allow it to succeed? Will you allow Voldemort to succeed?"_

"_No. We will triumph."_

"_Good. You have taken the first step towards your final goal. Remember me, Paige. Remember that you control your emotions. They don't control you. The end is coming. Once it comes, we shall begin a new path. It is up to you and your sisters. Lead this world in the right direction. Lead us to the light. The darkness cannot stand the light, and so it will retreat. You may not understand what I am saying, but you will understand once you reach the final place. That is the end, but it is also the beginning. We shall begin again." _

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You will discover that soon. Go now, and begin again." _

I was rising up. My soul was reborn in my body. This was my new beginning, but I saw that the end would come if I didn't reach the next level.

My eyes opened.

"Paige, what happened to you? You zonked out on us," Phoebe said.

"It was Morrigan. We're on the right path, but we still have much to do. We have to work together. The Power of Four may be the only thing that can change our end. That's what she wanted us to know. You didn't see her?"

"No," Prue said. "We were just getting started when you slipped off into another world."

"Morrigan's world, actually."

"Well, we didn't see anything," Piper said. "But it seems that you are beginning to fulfill your role as the mystic. We're getting closer to figuring this out."

"We know the truth. It will come to us soon." I knew all this to be true. It wasn't just Morrigan. It was my soul. It was everything I was. More than that, it was. That was all that mattered. At least, for now.


	15. Another Time

**Prue **

Voices… so many voices…

"_Aunt Phoebe, we need your help…"_

"_Phoebe, we need your help…"_

"_I saw children… my child…"_

"_Prue is dead."_

"_He took Piper. Voldemort has her."_

"_The Power of Three is gone. Paige is dead. Prue and Piper are the only ones left."_

"_Chris is Wyatt's little brother."_

"_Phoebe is still the Queen of the Underworld. There's nothing we can do about it."_

"_Paige, Chris is your son."_

"_Evil has won. No one can stop Voldemort."_

"_The Source has risen again."_

"_We didn't achieve our destiny. The Source has triumphed over the Power of Four."_

"_We can't…"_

"_We can't…"_

I sat up, feeling dizzy and disorientated. _What was that all about? _I was used to weird dreams, but there was something especially odd about that dream. I hadn't seen anything. I had only heard the voices. _Just one more odd thing to add to the list. _I got up, trying to clear my mind.

"Prue."

I turned to see Phoebe. But she wasn't Phoebe. She looked more like a spirit… but how was that possible?

"Phoebe, what happened to you?" I asked.

"Nothing," she answered. "What happened to you? Are you astral projecting?"

"No." I looked down. I was indeed solid.

"I see what you mean, Pheebs. Maybe we should call Leo," a shadowy Piper said.

"You're not real." I backed away from them.

"What are you talking about, Prue?" Piper asked.

"You're the one who seems to be disappearing," Phoebe said.

"But you're not real!"

"Prue?" Paige opened the door. The apparitions vanished. "Whom are you talking to?"

"Did you… did you see them?"

"See who?" Paige asked.

"Uh… no one."

"You sounded awfully panicked. More weird stuff?"

"Yes," I said. "I saw something. Two things, actually."

"What?"

"I saw apparitions of Phoebe and Piper."

"But they're fine. I just passed Phoebe in the hall."

"I don't think that it was them."

"What could it have been?"

"It might have been Morrigan," I said. "She did mess with my telepathy. Maybe she's messing around with my astral projection."

"Did you go into Morrigan mode?"

"No. I didn't have the emotion necessary."

"Well maybe she's just trying to get your attention. She did that to me."

"I guess."

"Well, we should get down there. The new parents are having a lot of fun with Nick."

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute." _I'm either going crazy or this is Morrigan's sign. I wish that she would just come out and say whatever she wants to say… But it doesn't work like that, unfortunately. Ancient spirits can't just appear. Everything always has to be so complicated. _

"You'll get used to this eventually. It's going to even out," Piper was telling Phoebe when I walked into the kitchen.

"I hope so. I thought pregnancy was bad. This is exhausting. But I love my little boy. Morning, Prue."

"Morning." I started to make some coffee. _I really need a pick up. _

"Leo, will you take Chris and Wyatt to Magic School?" I heard Piper ask.

_Say what? _I turned back towards them. Apparition Piper was back, along with an apparition Leo and apparition Phoebe.

"Whoa," apparition Piper said. "Leo, what's wrong with Prue?"

"She must be astral projecting."

"I'm not astral projecting," I said. "We went through this."

The real Piper and Phoebe looked at me. "What did you say?"

"Don't you see them?" I motioned towards the apparitions.

"No…"

"Prue, what are you talking about?" apparition Piper asked.

"You're not real."

"You're acting really weird," real Phoebe said.

I closed my eyes. When I opened them, the apparitions were not only still there, more had joined them. There was another Piper apparition and a Paige apparition.

"Prue?" they all chorused.

"Okay, everyone just stop. Leo!"

"Leo's right here, Prue," the first apparition of Piper said.

"None of you can see… yourselves, can you?" I questioned.

"Of course not."

"Okay…" I wasn't sure what I had to do.

"What's going on?"

Two apparitions of myself appeared. The other apparitions looked from me to their own Prue. My sisters just stared at me, clearly confused.

"I don't think that's Prue…" apparition Phoebe said.

"Morrigan, I have no idea what you're trying to tell me," I said, confusing everyone.

"Who's Morrigan?" most of the apparitions questioned.

They promptly disappeared.

"Prue, do you care to explain?" Piper asked.

"I will as soon as I figure this out."

* * *

"Where did everyone go?" I asked Paige that evening. It seemed that we were quite alone.

"They're checking out a magical daycare."

"They found a magical daycare?"

"Yes. Leo found it for Piper. It'll be perfect for the kids."

"That's good," I said. "It's going to be hard for us to watch three magical kids all the time."

"Yeah. What the heck is this?" Paige held up a bottle of wine. "Where did this come from?"

"I don't know. We're not exactly big drinkers." I looked it over. "Looks fine to me. You want to try some?"

"No thanks. I'm doing some paperwork and I need a clear mind. Those muggles have to complicate everything."

"They just can't handle magic." _A little bit of wine won't kill me… _I poured myself a glass as Paige disappeared into the other room. I took a long sip, enjoying it. _This stuff is pretty good. What brand is this? _"Dionysus's Brew." _Never heard of it. _I took another sip. It was around then that I started to feel odd. My vision started to become blurry. _What's going on? _I took a few unsteady steps and fell to the ground. "Pa-Pai—" I drew in a ragged breath.

A white light flashed before my eyes… Then everything was okay. I stood up and looked down at myself. I was wearing a torn dress. My feet were bare. My hair was tangled in rough braids, though most of it was left unbraided. This was right. I had to sing. The song was in my heart. "_O Bacchanals come, oh come. Sing Dionysus, sing to the timbrel, the deep-voiced timbrel. Joyfully praise him, him who brings joy. Holy, all holy music is calling. To the hills, to the hills, fly, O Bacchanal swift of foot. On, O joyful, be fleet._"

"Prue, what's…" Paige looked me up and down. "What happened to you?"

I placed an ivy wreath on her head. "Come, sister, and drink to Dionysus."

"Prue, what's up with you? What did you do to your hair? What happened to your clothes?"

"I have become one with nature. It is a great joy. Join me."

"Phoebe! Piper!"

I laughed. "They cannot help you. No one can." A frenzied ecstasy overtook me. I jumped onto her, wanting to taste her blood. She orbed away. "I can still sense you, Paige! You'll be back." Someone grabbed me. "I don't think so!" I got out of the person's grip and whirled around.

Phoebe, Piper, and Paige were standing in front of me. "Are you going to tell us what's happening to you?"

"Why should I tell you anything?" I spat.

"Because you look like a wild woman," Piper said. She then spotted the wine bottle. "Where did that come from?"

"Dionysus."

"Still not going to talk?" Phoebe asked.

"I told you the truth. Drink it. Taste of the wonders of Dionysus."

"Dionysus?" Piper said. "Not more Greek mythology."

"It would seem that we're a magnet for that stuff," Phoebe said. "So this has to do with Greek mythology. Love of Dionysus… Insanity… Weird appearance…"

"Of course," Paige said suddenly. "I can't believe I didn't see it before."

"What?"

"She's a maenad."

"Maenad?"

"It's a woman who's frenzied by wine," Paige said. "They would run through the forests, tearing apart any wildlife… or humans."

The delicate sense of control began to disappear again. I attacked them, but this time they were able to knock me out with a spell. I wasn't out long. I woke up to find that I was pinned against the floor.

"Tie her down," Phoebe ordered. Paige obeyed.

"You can't do this to me," I hissed. "I'm more powerful than you."

"Not anymore," Paige said. "I bound your powers when you were out."

"Bitch," I spat.

"Oh, I know you don't mean that."

"But I do. I will kill you and the other two… maybe even those children."

"I must say, Voldemort is quite creative. Turning you into a maenad is something we wouldn't have expected."

"My lord is far greater than you."

"Who is your lord?" Phoebe idly asked. "Dionysus or Voldemort?"

"They are the same."

"Ah. Well, don't fret, my dear. We'll take care of this."

"Ha! I will taste your blood before you can try anything."

Phoebe blew a kiss to me and left.

Sirius orbed in with Remus and the kids.

"I smell fresh blood! Let me go!" I struggled.

"Calm down, missy," Paige said. "You're not getting out of there anytime soon."

"What's wrong with her?" Sirius asked.

"She's been turned into a maenad," Piper answered.

"Voldemort?"

"Yes. He just won't give up. We'll have to watch her carefully. Paige, do you mind taking watching her while we look for the spell?"

"Not at all."

They left.

"You will pay for this," I promised.

"Could you drop that attitude?" Paige said.

"Why should I? You're keeping me here against my will."

"So sad. Just don't start singing that ridiculous song."

I smirked and started to sing. "_O Bacchanals come, oh come. Sing Dionysus—_"

"Stop or I shall erase that song from your mind."

"I may not have my powers, but I am still a maenad. I'm still… tricky." I slipped my hand out of the ropes.

"What are you—hey!" She hit me with a spell. "I still have a wand."

"Fine," I said. After a long silence, I told her, "They aren't going to find a spell."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I'm no ordinary maenad. I'm still a Charmed One. The usual spell won't work."

"I don't trust you. Why would you want me to know?" Paige inquired.

"Because you can't stop me. You can only let me go."

"We will turn you back. There are tons of spells in the world. There's bound to be one that will turn you back."

"This spell was created by the Dark Lord."

"La de da," she said in a bored voice.

"He's found a way to break up the Power of Four." Suddenly, something changed. "_Help me, Paige,_" I whimpered. "Shut up!"

"Prue?"

"_The spell won't work. _No!"

"Prue, you have to overcome this."

"We have the spell," Piper announced. "The Power of Four would be best, but Prue obviously won't cooperate."

"Let's try it. _Restore this soul back to herself, bring her back from wine's call, free her from Dionysus, let this not be her downfall._" She watched me anxiously.

"I'm afraid you're going to try harder." I gasped as a pain griped me.

"What's wrong with her?" Paige asked.

"She's going onto the next step," Piper said.

"But that's total control," Phoebe gasped.

I screamed in agony. "_To bring me back…_"

"What does that mean?"

Piper knew. "The sisterhood spell!"

"_Bring back this one to me, bring her back to her sisters three, bring her here, bring her near!_"

"You may have won this time," I growled in a voice that wasn't mine. "But I will win. She can hear my thoughts… I can use that… I will use her…" I shuddered and morphed into myself. I could still feel him in me. He had left a lasting impression.

"Prue, are you all right?"

"He's still in me." I felt so hollow… yet at the same time, I was full of his darkness. I took in shallow, heaving breaths. My eyes rolled back into my head.

"Leo!"

But her voice was fading fast.

* * *

**Piper**

"I don't understand this. What's wrong?" I asked Leo. Prue was completely unconnected with the world. We couldn't reach her at all.

"It seems like her mind is trying to recover from the ordeal. She suffered a lot of spiritual damage. She needs to recuperate."

"Leo, it's never that simple in our family."

"That isn't simple."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I don't know how long it's going to take her to wake up," Leo answered. "It could be a day or it could be forever."

"You mean to tell me that she may never wake up?"

"It's possible."

"But she's a Charmed One. She's Prue, for God's sake." I shook my head. "She'll take this challenge and kick its ass. That's what she does."

"She probably will wake up, but even then she may not be the Prue that you know now. She could wake up to be the child Prue."

"That won't happen. That can't happen."

"It can happen. I hope that it won't, but anything's possible right now. She's lost within herself. We can't reach her."

"What are we going to do? We need the Power of Four. I need my big sister," I said.

"There's nothing that we can do right now. Just be patient."

"Patient?" I exclaimed. "I don't know what's going to happen to Prue. I can't be patient."

"You'll have to try. Keep me updated."

"I will."

He disappeared up there. I turned to my children. I wanted them to know their aunt. I wanted them to be protected by the Power of Four. _Prue will get through this. She's a fighter. But what if she wakes up as a child? We could handle it, but it would complicate things. And what if a demon attacks her while she's in that state? Damn Voldemort. That's probably his plan. He always has to cook up some complicated plot. He's a tricky bastard. _A tear formed.

"She's going to get through this," Remus said.

"Hey, honey," I said, wiping the tear quickly away. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Prue is far too determined and strong to let this take control of her."

"I hope so, but there's still that possibility…"

"Piper, you know that she can overcome this. You four have gone through so much before. She's still there. She's going to come back."

"Are you sure that isn't just false hope? Voldemort is—"

"—not as strong as the Power of Four. Voldemort won't succeed. You have far too much power."

"We still have so many other challenges before us. We have to master Morrigan's power. We have to make sure that Voldemort is defeated. And Wyatt… We have to save him. You and Sirius are getting caught up in this. What if you get hurt?"

"You're my wife, Piper," Remus said. "I love you, and I will be with you through the good times and the bad. I want to help you with this, and I will."

I smiled. "That's why I love you. You always know what to say." He wrapped his arms around me and brought me close. I knew that everything would be okay as long as he was there. He meant so much to me. I smiled even more as I thought of our first kiss.

"What?"

"I was just thinking about our first kiss. I was so panicked that I froze you."

"You never told me that."

"I've grown up a lot since then."

"We all have."

"But our love is still the same. I wish I had tried to talk to you again. If I had, we could have been together all along."

"That doesn't matter. We're together now."

"Sorry to ruin this moment, but Prue just woke up," Paige informed us. We hastened to Prue's room.

"Prue?"

"You know, I've been hearing that tone a lot today." She smirked. She was fine. "I had a battle royal with Voldemort. But it was _my _mind, _my _domain. He didn't stand a chance."

"Thank God you're okay," I sighed.

"Voldemort's a pushover when it comes to the spiritual realm."

That struck me as odd. But I ignored it and concentrated on Prue. "You really scared us. I barely slept last night."

"How long was I out?"

"Just last night and today."

"I lost all that time?" Prue frowned.

"Prue, you just overcame Voldemort," Paige said. "A little lost time isn't that important."

"That's what you say. Our schedule is packed. Come on, let's get caught up."

_That's Prue for you._

* * *

"We've got a meeting for the Order. Dumbledore will want to know about all the weird stuff that happened lately," Phoebe told us. "It is a beautiful day. I love summer." She smiled widely.

"First night of peace?" I asked.

"You could say that."

"Oh. So it was a good night?" Paige said with a wink.

"Very good."

"Well get ready for another hectic day," I said. "This is the first meeting of the summer. Snape's going to be going on about his spy junk."

"Now Piper…" Prue said.

"What? I really don't like Snape."

"None of us do, but he can help us with this. We need to know what Voldemort is up to in order to protect Wyatt and Nick."

"Yeah…"

Things were a little easier with Wyatt and Nick. We were still worried about them, but we had gone through a lot. We felt a sort of peace in the house. Hopefully it would last.

"It seems like we're doing a pretty good job with them."

"We're on the right track," Paige said. "We all feel it."

"Just as long as it isn't a false sense of security," Prue said.

"Pessimist."

"I believe you're the cynic," Phoebe said.

"Must run in the family."

The meeting, while quite normal in its subject matter, had an ominous feeling about it. It felt like there was some unfinished business hanging around. It was a jerky feeling that only we noticed. Even though the others didn't notice, it was still there, and it was still strong.

"It's coming from Dumbledore," Phoebe murmured to us after the meeting. "He has something troubling him."

"Should we ask him about it?" I asked.

"Yes. He's hesitant about approaching us."

That was quite unlike Dumbledore. Something was wrong.

"It has to do with Morrigan, but it's clouded. He's unsure about it."

We approached him, wondering what he would say.

"Sir, we'd like to know more about your connection with Morrigan," I said.

Dumbledore sighed wearily. For once, I saw his age. "Perhaps it is time for us to talk." He took a moment to collect his thoughts, then began. "It was long ago that I discovered the tale of Morrigan. I was just starting to teach at Hogwarts. Grindelwald was the biggest threat then. I wanted to find a force powerful enough to help me accomplish my goals. I eventually found Morrigan."

"What exactly is her tale?" Phoebe questioned. "We couldn't find much on her."

"There is a good reason why. It's because of the great power she holds. Someone with enough power would be able to attempt to bring her into the world again. Of course, no one would be able to take her powers, but it would disturb the natural balance of forces, for Morrigan grew more powerful in death. As for her tale… Queen Morrigan was the first great magical ruler. She brought magic together and established order within our world. She had four forms. She drew her power from them. She fought demonic forces and created the long line of Wiccan witches. No one could control her children, but as the generations grew, her protection weakened. They were more vulnerable to the forces of evil. One of them became evil. He was the first Source of All Evil. He did terrible things in the world, but he was suppressed by his family. He could never gain power as great as Morrigan's, though. Before she died, Morrigan made a promise. _Until the Great Four come, my power shall only be mine. _That stopped all people from reaching her height of power."

"Is that why Voldemort could never have a greater power?" Prue asked.

"Yes. He did not die, but he is not invincible. Well, after I found Morrigan, I first attempted to contact her. I was unable to. The mention of the Great Four, however, intrigued me. After some time, I found another prediction involving four witches. The Charmed Ones. I searched for these witches for quite some time. I was about to give up when Patricia Halliwell came to me and told me about her other daughter. I had found four sisters in a Wiccan family. I was certain that you were the ones.

"But it was not a certain thing. I knew that I could only wait." He paused. "Yet as I pondered the situation one night, a great force entered my office. It was indescribable. I knew that I was in the presence of Queen Morrigan. I was at last sure that you were indeed the Great Four. Finally your powers were revealed. I could have told you about Morrigan then, but it was not time. You had to find those emotions within yourself before you could accept Morrigan.

"And now we are here. The stage has been set. The players are all together. There is not script any longer. You have the power. Your children have come into play. Harry will soon be ready. Nothing is assured except your power. I've been waiting to tell you all this, but I had to let everything run its course. If I had interfered, you might not have received Morrigan's gift. You are ready for this. Take the power and make it your own. You are the ones Morrigan sees fit."

"So this was all meant to happen?" Paige asked.

"Yes. There are still a few holes, though. It's your job to fill those holes. Morrigan has incorporated another variable. You must discover what that variable is before time runs out."

_That must be the thing that stops everything from adding up. _

There was an odd sucking sound.

"Whoa. That was weird." A young girl had appeared. She looked no older than fourteen. She suddenly noticed us. "Oh dear." She flicked her fingers. "So you're witches. Wait a minute. Mom!" She hugged me.

"Hoooold it," I said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Melinda, your daughter." She smiled.

"Uh… What are you doing here?"

"I was hopping through time because you grounded me and I was bored out of my mind. I was going back to the time when you were teenagers when I kind of got stuck. I got caught up in my emotions when I started to go back, so that messed me up. This has happened before, so I know what to do. I just have to wait it out. Aunt Paige, what's up with your hair? You actually dyed it red?"

"Accidentally."

We are all taking in Melinda's bombshell.

"Am I born yet?" Melinda asked. "Because this would be really weird if you guys didn't know about me."

"Yes."

"Oh good. So you must be Dumbledore. It's good to meet you. Mom told me about you. Too bad you… right… not supposed to reveal information about the future. Anyways—Chris?" Chris had just orbed in. He stared at Melinda incredulously.

"Melinda?"

"Yup. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here the change the past."

"You look older," Melinda said.

"I am," Chris replied.

"Wait. Why did you come back? It seems more natural that I would come," Melinda said.

"You know I can't tell you that."

"I'll just go to the future, then."

"Trust me, you don't want to go there," Chris said. "It's a wasteland."

"Probably my stupid brother's fault." She rolled her eyes.

Remus walked in. "I was wondering what happened to you."

"Dad!" She hugged him.

Remus looked understandably surprised. "Did you just call me dad?"

"Yes. I'm Melinda. I came back from the future."

"Oh."

"I know this is a lot, but you won't remember any of this. Chris will take care of that."

"What?" I said.

"Melinda, don't reveal any more information," Chris warned her.

"Sorry. I know I have a big mouth. But I don't see the harm. They'll forget it anyways. Aunt Phoebe, watch out for—"

"She might remember some of this," Chris interrupted. "You know Phoebe."

"Yes, I do. Oh, my power's back in order. Mom, dad, much love. Y'all have a good time with Wyatt. Chris, if you would." She bowed a little and disappeared.

"Chris, what—" My words were cut short as I locked eyes with Chris. For a moment, everything was meaningless. Then it was back to normal. "Thanks for telling us all that, Dumbledore. We'll keep looking for that variable."

"I have a feeling that you'll find it soon. After all, you are the Great Four." He had regained the brilliance that shone in his eyes.

_If he is that confident, we should be too. We have Morrigan on our side. We're greater than Voldemort. That was promised to us. Dumbledore always knows when things are going to turn out right. We'll trust in him and Morrigan. She certainly has become a big part of our lives. But we were always destined for this. We had to end up here. We're going to take this to the end. We will be the ones to end this battle._


	16. Worlds of Sorrow

**Phoebe **

"To the Charmed sisters, the greatest gift given to men."

_Another day of insanity with Grams. _

_Piper, you have to properly introduce yourself._

_You just did it for me, Pheebs._

_Well, now the reader knows that._

_You act like someone is actually going to read this someday._

_We're going to read this in the future._

_Just to remember how strange we were?_

_And horny. You forgot that._

_I knew you were going to bring that up._

_Of course. It's way too funny. _

_It was embarrassing. _

_We have to explain. _

_You do it. You're not at all humiliated by it._

_Admit it, Piper. It's hilarious. Okay then. Anyways, this horniness began with Grams._

_That sounds so wrong._

_Well that is how it began. Piper had Remus in her room. She closed her door without even thinking… An immediate oddity for her._

_We were just talking._

_Good thing because Grams walked by the door, heard Remus, and practically kicked down the door. Piper nearly had a heart attack, apparently._

_What would you do if Grams did that to you and Sirius?_

_Get grounded for making out with a boy behind closed doors._

_I should have expected that. _

_Yes, you should have. So then Grams kicked Remus out and lectured Piper for an hour about the proper way of interacting with boys. _

_It was mortifying. _

_Please. I've gotten that talk a million times. Hasn't really affected me._

_I see._

_I don't like that tone. It's not like I've tried anything. _

_Let's not get into that. You're my little sister. _

_Just wait until Paige starts bringing home guys._

_She already has a boyfriend._

_Who is it?_

_She won't tell me. _

_Sounds like a repeat of last year._

_This time I'm not getting into it._

_That's good. You're a good big sister, but when it comes to love…_

_I suck. _

_You meddle. That's the problem. _

_I won't be doing any meddling this year._

_Right…_

_What is that supposed to mean, Phoebe?_

_You can't help it. You have to meddle. At least we'll have some new adventures to take on. Demons will be popping up occasionally… we might have to deal with a warlock or two… magical creatures galore…_

_You actually enjoy that stuff?_

_Yup. You do too. _

_Demon hunting is hardly fun._

_You get to blow them up. You love having powers. _

_Bah! _

_Your power's cool. You need a moment… POOF—you get it._

_All our powers are great. _

_And the Power of Four is pretty great._

_Look at us. We're romanticizing about our powers. _

_It's a good thing. Whenever we're cursing our gifts, we can look at this entry. _

I chuckled. "We should have kept this out more." I flipped back to the boys' entry. I stared at it solemnly, thinking back to the time when we had no worries. We had had our duties as Charmed Ones, but we had no clue about the future. _I wish I could go back. I'd definitely make a few changes. Too bad I can't. _It was strange how things went. _Is this all a part of some divine plan? Were we destined to end up here?_ I shook my head._ I'm getting way too philosophical. I wonder if it's Morrigan. _

A wave of fury washed over me. "_I never should have trusted you, Wormtail_." It ended as suddenly as it had started. _Empathy sucks. _Lately I had started to feel what Voldemort was feeling. I had a horrible fear that it was because of my dealings with Cearbhall. _Of course, I should be punished for that. _I still carried the guilt of that experience. It wasn't something I was ever going to forget.

"You were in pain," Prue said. "And you need to move on. You have your powers; you have your son. So you made a mistake. We've all screwed up before. Lingering on your mistake won't help you or Nick. It just attracts trouble. You know that well enough."

"Reading my thoughts, huh?"

"You can't hide your guilt. I know you too well, Phoebe."

"But what if I opened up a Pandora's box? What if that is what allows Voldemort to get to the boys?"

"You never forged a full connection with Cearbhall. You didn't sign the paper completely."

"He was a tricky demon," I said. "What if he did something else? What about when he had that spell on Chris and I?"

"If you keep questioning yourself, you'll only make things worse. He didn't do anything. We would feel it. The bonds of sisterhood are strong."

"But—"

Prue waved her hand. "None of that. I want you to look at your son. Will you ever let Voldemort come near him?"

I looked at my little boy. "No."

"Good. What happened to my confident sister?"

"Motherhood does a lot to you."

"It makes you stronger. You can handle this."

"Thanks."

"Keep up that love," Prue said. "It'll help Nick."

* * *

"None of this makes sense." I put down the book. "We can't find anything else regarding the prophecy about us."

"We'll just have to wing it, then," Piper said.

"Don't we always?"

"Yes. All we have is a few pieces. We have an entire timeline to go through." The task of figuring out our path was a lot harder than we had expected. It was starting to seem impossible. That was quite discouraging.

"So let's try to put the pieces together," Prue said. "We'll start at the very beginning."

"Morrigan's promise?" Paige asked.

"Yes. Morrigan made that promise knowing that it would stop evil from gaining too much power. Many years pass and Dumbledore finds her. There must be a connection there," Prue concluded.

"Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard of all time," I said.

Piper shook her head. "It's more than that, though that did help. He was a connection to us. Morrigan needed a way to contact us. Dumbledore happened to come across her. She was able to guide us using him."

We thought it over. "Makes sense."

"Then we find our Charmed powers. One of the greatest events that tied in with our powers is…" Prue paused, brow furrowed. "Any ideas?"

"Well, it has to be something that occurred when we were all in Hogwarts," Paige said.

"So it could only be from that span of time when we were just discovering our powers."

We all thought back to that time. "The biggest thing that happened then was our adventure with the Marauders," Piper said.

"But which specific part?"

"James's vision," I answered automatically. "That was the thing that we struggled with the most."

"Yes, but it can't just be the vision," Prue said. "We resolved that issue. It has to be something that we never resolved… something that we never figured out."

"This is impossible," Paige said, shaking her head. "It could be a tiny event. The truth spell… the event at the end of the year…"

But I was staring ahead with a feeling of sureness in my heart. The memory of James's vision was still very clear in my mind. "The greatest issue I dealt with was the time when James sent me to the alternate world. That led me to the vision. It was never resolved."

"That still doesn't lead to a solid conclusion," Piper said. "Is the issue with what you saw or is it with the universe itself?"

"I don't know," I responded. "We'd need another clue."

"Clue…" Prue murmured. "Morrigan must have been sending me a clue when she did the apparition thing."

"Apparitions and alternate universes…" I paused, then realization struck me. "Wait, do you think that the apparitions are real people from other universes?"

"I never thought of it that way," Prue said. "Now that you mention it, it would tie in with the voices that I heard in that dreams. They all spoke of different situations. It was almost like they were twists of things we had gone through."

"So we have to look at other worlds," Paige concluded.

"One piece of the puzzle is partially solved," Prue said. "After that, we grow up, go out into the world, and get sent back into the muggle world."

"An automatic set back for Morrigan," Piper said. "We were more concerned about being normal than about our powers."

"And sixteen years is a long time of waiting," I put in.

"Once we get back, we're opened up to Morrigan because we're using magic," Prue said. "She jump starts the system, bringing us right to her form."

"However, that kind of response takes a lot of power," Paige said. "Our powers come from our emotions. She used the strength of our most challenging powers to allow us to take on her form."

"Yet that created another block for her," Prue said. "When she was alive, she didn't use her emotions to posses her powers. That's something we still have to overcome."

"Is that all?" I wondered.

"That's all we know at the moment," Prue responded.

"Then let's try to fit in the other variable," I said.

"What's that?"

"It's more of a who. Chris."

"Why does Chris fit into this?" Piper asked.

"In his past, Morrigan never came to us," I said.

"That's because Paige was dead in his past," Piper said.

"Still, Morrigan has been with us for all our lives, right?" Prue said, catching onto my thought.

"I guess so."

"She would recognize the fact that we needed more help," Prue said. "She still would have given us power."

"That's true," Paige said. "So why didn't she?"

"I don't know," Prue said, sighing. "We've run into another brick wall."

"We could just ask Chris," I suggested.

"Yeah right," Paige scoffed. "You know Chris. He'll say that he can't tell us because it'll screw up the future."

"Like he hasn't already done enough of that," Piper said.

"True, but he won't tell us. He's too stubborn," Prue said.

"We're just going to figure it out ourselves, then," I said.

"It's not going to be easy," said Piper, frowning.

"Nothing ever is," I replied. "But we always get through it."

"Should we start right now?"

"I don't even know where to start," I said. "We can only analyze what we've been through so far. We can't factor in things that happened in Chris's past that didn't happen to us."

"We're just going to have to work with what we have," Paige said. "Chris prevented my death. If he hadn't, the Power of Four would be gone… Duh!"

"What?"

"Until the Great _Four_ come… We came and then I went," Paige said, excitement in her voice. "Morrigan promised her power only to the four of us. She couldn't break her own word. It was much too powerful."

"Nice, Paige," I said, impressed. "Our muses must be working overtime tonight."

"Now we deserve a little break," Piper said.

"You three go," Prue said. "I'm going to keep working."

I eyed her. "Prue, don't you think you're getting a little obsessed?"

"Not at all."

"You've been working on this pretty much nonstop for a while," Piper pointed out.

"Hardly. I just want to figure this out."

"Okay, but remember that we're going to work this out together."

"I'll just get a head start."

"Just try to get some sleep."

"Of course," Prue replied.

"I mean it, Prue," Piper said. "I know you're pumped up about this, but you can't get obsessed. It's only the beginning of the summer. We don't need you spending all summer agonizing over this."

"I swear I won't." She held up her left hand, trying hard not to smile.

"The right hand is usually used in swearing," I commented wryly.

"Oh yeah…" The hidden smile came through and she immediately dove into another book.

* * *

"This is the last day of maternity leave," I said. _Back to being an auror. There are a few new people on my list. Pregnancy rather made me quite spiteful. _

"You're relieved, aren't you?" Piper replied.

"Not relieved. I just miss my job so much. I know I'll probably be dropping home every time I get a break." _I'm going to enjoy work… but I'm going to miss my baby so much. _

"Sirius will be taking care of the kids," Piper reminded me.

I smiled. "I can hardly believe that you're entrusting your kids to Sirius."

"I trust Sirius completely."

"Yeah, but I seem to recall you saying that you couldn't see him as a father."

She laughed a little. "That was back when we were just out of Hogwarts."

"Speaking of Hogwarts," I started, "do you know where Harry orbed off to?"

"He's at the Burrow for the day. You're turning into his mother."

"I leave that role to you, Piper. I'm just getting used to having one kid."

"You know why he went to the Burrow?" Piper said, smiling mischievously.

"Of course," I said. "Harry's in love."

"I know. It's so adorable."

"But they're still completely oblivious. Maybe we should give them a little push…"

"Ginny and Harry have to do this on their own. It won't take long, believe me."

The doorbell rang. "I'll get that." I walked over to the door and opened it. There was no one there. "Weird," I muttered.

Suddenly there was a loud crash in the other room. I walked in and found that hundreds of owls were flying around, knocking things over. "Piper!"

"What—whoa." She flicked her fingers. "Where'd they come from?"

"I don't know. Help me get them out of here."

However, whenever we moved an owl, it would unfreeze and go crazy. It took us a while to get all of them out. More time was added to the clean up.

"Well, that was an adventure," Piper said.

"Yeah. I'll go get some water."

As soon as I touched the glasses, an odd feeling overcame me. It was like an aborted premonition. _That's never happened before. _I brushed it off and went back into the living room.

"This water tastes kind of weird…"

"Mm…"

We both fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Wake up!"

"Wha?" I opened my eyes.

"Morning, sunshine," Paige said pleasantly. "You two were sleeping pretty deeply."

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"A few minutes. Prue's going to be late, as usual."

I glanced at the clock. "We were out for a while."

"That's kind of odd," Piper said.

"Just like everything else in our lives. I'd better go check on Nick." I got up. My actions still seemed slowed, my thoughts slurred. I walked slowly up the stairs and opened the door. "Hey, my little boy." But something was wrong. I couldn't feel his presence. "Nicolas?" His crib was empty. He was gone… gone. I screamed and heard Piper doing the same.

"What is it?" Paige asked.

"Nick is gone!" I started to disapparate. I had to find him, no matter how long it took.

She grabbed me firmly, stopping me. "Phoebe, you can't look everywhere for him."

Piper ran in. "Wyatt and Melinda are gone!" She was near hysterics.

Paige took control of the situation. "Leo! Sirius! Chris!"

They all appeared.

"The kids are all gone."

"Damn it, we walked right into his trap. Those owls were a distraction. He must have put a sleeping spell into the water. He must have sent Wormtail. That's why there was no one at the door," Piper said through her tears. "He finally got them."

"How could we let this happen?" I said angrily. _Come on Morrigan… _Nothing happened. "We have to find them now." I couldn't even think straight. No wonder I couldn't call upon Morrigan. I didn't know what to do.

"We're going to take care of this."

"How? Voldemort is untraceable."

"Chris, I believe you have some explaining to do."

* * *

**Paige **

"You do realize that anything I tell you can change things completely, don't you?" Chris said. Sirius and Leo were trying to find the kids with the help of the Elders. We were taking things into our own hands.

"Of course," I said calmly.

"Sit, Chris," Prue ordered.

He reluctantly sat. He knew not to mess with Prue.

"You're the only one who knows exactly what happened," Prue said.

"If I tell you that stuff, there could be serious consequences. It—"

"I don't give a damn about the repercussions," Phoebe said. "You are going to tell us what happened in the future and exactly who you are."

Chris sighed, giving up. "I don't know who I am. I don't know who my parents are. I don't even know my real name."

"What do you mean?" Prue asked.

Chris took a while to answer. "My parents abandoned me when I was a few months old. A muggle couple found me and raised me. They knew about my powers early on."

"And what are your powers?" I had been curious about that for a while.

"I can orb, erase memories, manipulate life forces, and I'm empathic and telekinetic."

"Oh." I had never expected that he would be so powerful. _His mother must be pretty powerful._

"What does Voldemort want with Wyatt and Nicolas?" Piper asked.

"He wants to turn them evil."

"We're not going to let that happen," I said firmly.

"Regardless, that's what happens in my future," Chris said.

"Both of them turned evil?"

He hesitated.

"Tell us."

"Only Wyatt turned evil. No one knows what happened to Nick. That's why I came back. I came to protect them."

"You did a pretty poor job," Phoebe said.

"Look, history's different for me," Chris said. "Originally Voldemort came and got them himself. That spell would have stopped him."

"So what happened to us?" Piper asked.

"You got Wyatt back for a few years. Then he joined Voldemort and destroyed Prue and Phoebe."

Piper shivered. "I still can't believe that my son will grow up to become so evil."

"Why didn't Piper and Leo try to get him back?" I asked.

"They did," said Chris. "After a while, Voldemort got tired of their efforts and had them killed. Wyatt, of course, had a problem with that and started to fight with Voldemort."

"He became good again?" Piper asked eagerly.

Chris shook his head. "He wanted seniority. Their fight allowed Harry Potter to vanquish Voldemort. Wyatt took over and destroyed almost everything. I was part of the resistance. I was chosen to go back."

That brought up the subject of Melinda. "But Melinda's powers were better suited," Phoebe said. "Why didn't she go back?"

"You really don't want to know about this."

"We do," Piper said. "We have to. Tell us what happened to her."

He looked away and began to speak. "Melinda was always the biggest threat to Wyatt. Her powers were almost as great as his. He couldn't kill her. He tried to bring her over to his side, but she refused. The fact that he allowed her to live was a sign of weakness. In order to keep up his image and keep her away, he put her under the Imperius Curse. She fought, but he was stronger than she was. Still she kept fighting. Eventually her spirit broke. She became an empty shell with no free will."

The image of my niece flashed before my eyes. I couldn't see her as a puppet. I couldn't see any of the things that were happening. They seemed so unreal.

"Is that all?"

"Yes." For once, he seemed sincere. _Ah, but Chris is particularly gifted at covering his lies. _

"You had better not be lying to us," Prue said.

"I'm not."

"I'm going to ask you another question, and you had better be truthful about it. Why doesn't my telepathy work on you?"

"I used a potion to block it," Chris admitted.

"To stop us from finding all this out?"

"Yes. That's the only reason."

"One other thing." She looked deep into his eyes. "Why did you send Leo to Valhalla?"

"I didn't," he said quickly… too quickly.

"I know that you did," Prue said. "Before you used the potion, I heard your thoughts. I kept quiet because I chose to trust you. Tell me the truth now."

"I didn't want to get into this," Chris said.

"That's too bad, Chris," I said. "We've gone too far to go back."

"Voldemort tried to take Leo's powers. In my past, he did. Wyatt's protection weakened. That was one thing that helped Voldemort to get to Wyatt."

"You were trying to protect Leo?" Piper said.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you just tell us?"

"That would have screwed everything up."

"Chris, everything has already gone to hell. My son and my daughter have both been captured by Voldemort. You came back to change the past, so here's your big opportunity. Here's your shinning moment! Do something. Change this before it gets screwed up again."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"What?"

"I should have been honest with you," Chris said. "You're right. I could have prevented this, but I screwed it up."

We were all taken aback, but the shock of the disappearance made it impossible for us to feel anything else. "Well, this is what you came back to do," I said. "Help us stop Voldemort before the past repeats itself."

I couldn't imagine what Piper and Phoebe were feeling. They had lost their children. It must have been horrible for them. They didn't know what Voldemort was doing to them. They didn't know what Voldemort planned to do. To not know… that had to be the worst part. They were both so powerful, but now they probably felt helpless. I could see it in their eyes. Their great powers hadn't helped. I could sense that they felt like failures. I didn't know what to say or do for them.

_I'll just have to help them out. We have to get those kids back. We can't lose them. We can't let Voldemort turn Wyatt evil._

"Did Voldemort do something to Wyatt while he was a baby to get him to turn evil?" I asked. The question had just occurred to me.

"Yes," Chris confirmed. "He put a spell on him that would lead him to evil. You didn't fail him, Piper."

_How did he… Oh yeah. He's an empath. _

"We can fix this, right?" Prue said. "We can stop Voldemort from doing anything to them… can't we?"

"Of course. You have the upper hand. You know what he's going to do before he has a chance to think of it."

_Chris is pretty handy…_

"How can we fix this?" Prue asked. Piper and Phoebe seemed to have run out of questions. _Poor things. _

"It's risky."

"That's fine." The fierce quality of Prue had been turned up to its maximum. Voldemort didn't stand a chance.

_So why is doubt sneaking into my heart?_

"You can turn to the Golden Dawn. It's only a slight chance, but it's all we have right now. You're going to have to trust in me completely."

We looked to each other. "We'll do whatever you ask. Just help us get back our kids."

_We have the Power of Four. We have Morrigan. I just wish that I could stop feeling so hopeless._


	17. The Enigma Called Chris

**Prue **

"What do you mean we shouldn't tell Leo? We're trying to get back _his_ son." I studied Chris closely, but the potion he had used protected him too well for my powers to work on him.

"It's for his own good. We don't need the Elders to interfere," he said, looking at an old map.

"Interfere? They're supposed to help us."

"They can't help you with this. They weren't able to in my past."

"A lot has changed."

"But not enough."

"Why do have to match your own will with mine?" I asked, more than a little frustrated.

"I'm not trying to piss you off, Prue," Chris said.

"Apparently you don't have to make much of an effort." I glanced at the map, but couldn't understand it. "Where is this place?"

"Someplace where you can't apparate."

"It must be pretty protected," I commented.

"Yeah," Chris said.

"What is the Golden Dawn?"

"An organization that can help us."

"You're being vague on purpose."

"You have to trust me."

"Seems like the phrase of the day. Pip—"

My sisters entered before I could get the words out, making me suspect that they had been listening to the conversation. Chris had told me a few details of the trip. He hadn't told my sisters because they apparently would have been too upset. _I don't understand what Paige has to do with that._

We orbed to an ornate building. It was huge and beautiful. Still, there was something about it that I didn't like.

"Who are you?" a voice boomed. Shadows of that voice seemed to whisper in my ears. "Ah, the Charmed Ones. Enter." The doors opened. We cautiously went in.

_Okay, that was creepy. _"Chris, what—"

"Don't speak."

_Never a good sign. _We walked a bit, then Chris stopped us. A shimmer of a spell leapt up in front of us. It lingered for a moment before fading away. I was beginning to suspect that Chris was leading us into an unusual alliance.

Another set of doors opened. We were greeted by the sight of a dozen witches working on different defenses. They were all dressed like warriors.

"Chris, is this the wizard mafia?" I inquired bluntly.

" Not mafia," Chris said. "Per se…"

"Chris!"

Suddenly all the women turned on us with crossbows. Piper hurriedly froze them.

"Those are darklighter arrows. What the hell kind of a place is this?"

"The Golden Dawn is kind of a collection of vigilantes," Chris explained. "They don't deal with the Elders very well."

"I don't like that 'kind of'. Why did they turn on us?" Piper demanded.

"They can't trust anyone."

"Great allies," Phoebe said.

"Let's just get to the leader," Chris said.

"The don?"

"This isn't the mob."

"Close enough." We got out of the line of fire and Piper unfroze them. They turned but didn't attack. We hurried on.

"This is it," Chris said.

"Stop." A wizard stepped in front of us. "You're not allowed to see the leader."

Chris made a sign. The wizard considered him, then moved aside. I decided not to ask.

"Hello, Charmed Ones." A woman was sitting at a desk. She looked rather amused for some reason. "I've been expecting you. You want me to help you get your children back, don't you?"

"It depends on who you are."

"My name is Katana. I lead the Golden Dawn." Her eyes flicked over to me. "Prudence, the answers you seek can be found in there." She pointed to a door. "Piper, the truths are within your form. Phoebe, you should know where he is. And Paige…" She smiled. "Have you really come this far just to give up?"

Piper froze her. "What is her deal?"

"Katana is a shaman," Chris said.

"Ahuh," Piper responded. "How do you know her?"

"The Golden Dawn helped the resistance."

"Are they good or bad?" I asked, then went on for clarification. "That is to say, do they include demons in their little club? Are they contract killers?"

"It all depends," Chris hurriedly said. "They sometimes make alliances with unusual people… and they've been known to earn money in risqué ways… But they are not evil."

"What about that advice?" I asked.

"She's trying to help you."

"Do you know what she means?" Piper asked.

"No, but you can trust her," Chris said.

"As much as we can trust you, right?" Phoebe said.

He sighed. "I thought we were over that."

"I never meant it as a bad thing."

"Well, whatever is in there can't be any worse than a demon… hopefully," I said and nodded to Piper.

She flicked her fingers wearily. It had been a long night.

"Morrigan has been waiting… and another is waiting," Katana continued.

That was too close to home to be a guess.

"Will you let her wait forever?"

I went to the door.

"I have shown you the door," Katana said. "She has led you to this place. Will you open the door? She can't make you, you know. Only you can make the choice."

I opened the door confidently. I was amazed by what I saw. I had never expected it… but how I had desired it. "Oh my…"

The room was filled with books and maps. Everything needed for research could be found in there. It was breathtaking. It was also a great relief. I could find the connections. I could solve the mystery once and for all. Something in particular, though, was pulling me toward a map. It was huge and had intricate drawings of doors. _Doors…_ I stared at it spellbound for a moment before I actually read the title. "The Universal Connections." _Perfect._

* * *

"You both have to get some sleep," Paige said to Piper and Phoebe. We were trying to get them to relax for a moment.

"No," Phoebe said. "I won't sleep until I have my son back."

"We can't go after Voldemort yet. Depriving yourself won't make that task any easier," I said.

"I don't care."

"_Dormis._" We caught them as they passed out. "I had hoped we wouldn't have to resort to a spell."

"But at least they're asleep." We hauled them into bed. "We should get some sleep too."

"Yeah, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep."

"I know what you mean," Paige said. "The kids are with Voldemort and we have to deal with the Golden Dawn. Katana is okay, but I really don't like her followers."

"Neither do I," I said. "Chris is right, though. They'll be able to help us. We just have to keep that in mind."

She nodded. "Would you mind doing the spell on me?"

"Not at all. _Dormis._" She fell into her bed. I sighed and went into my room. "_Dormis._" Part of me didn't want to allow sleep to come. Even though I was exhausted, my mind was racing. I had found the connection. As much as I wanted to stay up and think, my aching body won out and I allowed the spell to work.

"_So you figured it out. I knew you would, Prudence,"_ _Morrigan said. _We were walking through her domain.

"_I should have seen it sooner."_

"_That doesn't matter. You know it now."_

"_But you gave me such an obvious clue with those apparitions."_

"_You led the apparitions to give you that clue," Morrigan said. _

"_I did?"_

"_Yes. You asked for my help."_

"_And you gave it," I said._

"_I had no control over what they said."_

"_I'm glad that I know what we have to do, but isn't it kind of… big?"_

"_I wouldn't have given you this task if I thought you couldn't do it," Morrigan told me. "You are the Charmed Ones. You have the Power of Four. You have my powers. How could you fail?"_

"_We could fail if we don't overcome our emotions."_

"_You four have done so much in your lives. At the age of seventeen, you took on your destiny. You took charge of the situation and helped your sisters even though you felt as lost as they did. You stopped the Source. You've battled many demons, including your personal demons. You've saved many innocents."_

"_We've also lost before."_

"_Even in those times, you've found the strength to begin again."_

"_How many new beginnings can we get, though?" I wondered. "There must be some time where we can't begin again."_

"_Every time you find the fortitude to fight, you begin again. Every time you face a new day, you begin again. Every time you repent, you begin again."_

"_So you're saying that we are constantly starting again."_

"_Yes. Life is all about new beginnings. They're a gift, and so is life. You should understand that, even if it doesn't seem like it now."_

"_What if we have to begin again without Wyatt, Nick, and Melinda? Can you really call that a new beginning?"_

"_No, that would not be a new beginning," Morrigan said. "It's not going to happen."_

"_How can you be so sure?"_

"_I'm not drawing from my own confidence," she said simply. _

"_Whose confidence is it? It's certainly not mine."_

"_Are you so sure of that?"_

"_Yes."_

"_With that attitude, I would rather doubt it. I have watched you your entire life, Prue. You are the oldest. Because of that, you've always felt a responsibility to help your sisters. You promised to never fail them. Your promise is as strong as my own. That's something that most people don't understand. Words have a lot of power. You believe that. You have for a long time. You have the power to bring them back."_

"_You speak of a great power. I don't feel that power. Even when I grasp your power, I don't feel it. I feel nothing."_

"_You know why that is."_

"_But I don't."_

"_There's that undying confidence. Take that and put it to use."_

"_Is it because we haven't mastered the power?" I asked._

"_Questioning your own answer won't help anyone."_

"_We have to master the power. How?"_

"_I didn't just choose your strongest emotions because they added to your power. I chose them because they can lead you to the answer. I've guided you through this, but as I told Paige, I'm only your guide. There are some things that you have to work through on your own."_

"_But what does that mean?" I asked. "I'm getting tired of the cryptic answers that we get in our lives."_

"_I know you're frustrated, but you have to overcome that. When you do, it will lead you to the power. But where else will that lead you?"_

_I thought through it. "If I overcome frustration, I would be given… patience."_

_She smiled. "Yes. I wasn't born with perfect patience. I had to work to reach it."_

"_Is the same thing true with my sisters?"_

"_It indeed is. You've worked very hard on this situation, and I appreciate it. However, the completed puzzle won't make everything better. No, you have to try. You have to use the answers." _

"_Piper has to overcome grief and achieve happiness. Paige has to overcome loneliness and achieve love. Phoebe has to overcome anger and achieve…"_

"_I had a particularly difficult time with Phoebe, though she was the first one to reach me. Phoebe doesn't have enough faith in herself."_

"_Faith?"_

"_Yes. These emotions aren't supposed to be directly connected to other people. They're meant to make you look at yourselves. You need to have patience with yourself. Piper has to be happy with who she is and the life she leads. Paige must learn to love herself. Phoebe must have faith in herself and her actions. How's that for a cryptic answer?"_

_It was hard to believe that she was an ancient spirit when she made comments like that. "Thank you."_

"_You're the one who did all the work. You four need to learn to thank yourselves more often." Morrigan's attitude became considerably more solemn. "This isn't an easy task, especially now. These next days are going to be very emotional. But I believe in you, and I certainly don't expect that you'll master the power until the children have returned."_

"_Do you know how long it's going to take to get them back?"_

"_Yes, I do. I can't tell you, Prue. You realize that, don't you?"_

"_But why?"_

"_To stop you from making the wrong decisions."_

"_I still don't understand."_

"_If I told you, I would guide you in a certain direction. It would be the wrong direction. I know you're not one to accept things at face value, but please accept this."_

"_For now."_

_She smiled again. "Soon this will be over. After you defeat Voldemort, you will be able to have a life that you've all dreamed of."_

"_A life without demons?"_

"_You know the answer to that." She slowly faded away. _

"_We will do this!"_

"_I know." _

**

* * *

Piper**

Helpless. I was completely helpless. Hopeless. Yes, that too. I was failure as a mother. I hadn't protected my children. Voldemort had gotten to them because of my carelessness. I should have seen right away that we were being distracted. I should have thought. I should have done things differently, but I hadn't. Voldemort had Melinda and Wyatt. It was my fault.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't find Voldemort. He was too well hidden. No one could sense my kids, but I knew they were alive. They had to be alive.

"Piper."

I turned to see Chris. "How's it going with the Golden Dawn? How soon will we be able to find Voldemort?"

"Soon," Chris said. "Katana will definitely find him sometime today."

"Sometime? Chris, we don't have a lot of time."

"Voldemort isn't going to kill them. He wants to use their powers."

"But you said that he only wanted Wyatt and Nicolas. Why did he take Melinda?"

"He couldn't pass up a chance to take the new Power of Three."

"Power of Three?" I repeated. "Do you mean to tell me that they will create a great power like ours?"

"That's what's supposed to happen. They'll continue your work one day."

"Why should they have to do that? We're the Charmed Ones. The Warrens fight demons, but they shouldn't have to bear a great power like ours."

"Melinda Warren promised that each generation would become more powerful. This is just the next collection of power."

I sighed. "How could Nick slip through our grasp? If we got Wyatt, why didn't we get him?"

"When you went to get them, Voldemort only had Wyatt," Chris said. "You came to the conclusion that Nick had orbed out."

"But how? Voldemort must have put a spell on them."

"Wormtail did while you were out. Prue read his mind and found out that he had only taken care of Wyatt and Melinda. You and Phoebe woke up before he had a chance to take care of Nick. He thought that because Nick isn't as strong as Wyatt, he wouldn't be able to tap into his powers."

"Wait. Are you saying that when we get there, Nick is going to be gone?" I incredulously said.

"Not if we can get there before he gets a chance," Chris responded.

"But what changed?"

"In my past, you went there without any help. Now you have the Golden Dawn."

"Can we really change this?"

"I stopped Paige's death. You can change my past."

I smiled a little. "For someone who was raised by muggles, you've really got that whitelighter spiel down."

"That's because of Sirius," Chris said.

"How did you two get so close?"

He stopped, looking more thoughtful.

"Come on, it'll help get my mind off things," I encouraged him.

"Voldemort killed my parents. Sirius helped me with that. So did you and Remus, actually. I spent a lot of time with you three."

It was good to know that we had helped him. Still, it was kind of strange knowing what I would do. Time travel was not my favorite thing to think of. "Did you… Did you ever come close to finding out who your real parents are?"

"Yes. Wyatt knew who they were. He used that against me. He's the one who told me that mother was empathic."

"I'm sorry about him," I said.

"It's not your fault, Piper," Chris told me. "Wyatt was forced to choose that path. He never would have gone that way if Voldemort hadn't put that spell on him."

"That's good to know." I didn't want to think that my child would willingly choose to be evil. "When does he use that spell? Will it happen before we can get to him?"

"No. We're going to get to him in time."

"But if Voldemort does use the spell… could we undo it?"

"No," Chris answered. "It's too strong."

"But we have Morrigan."

"It's based on his powers. No one could cancel it out."

"So we're working against time here."

"I'm afraid so."

"How long did it take us before?" I asked.

"It took you almost three months."

"We have some time, then."

"Yes, you do."

"You've really helped us out a lot."

"It's the least I could do for you," Chris said. "You made such a difference in my life."

It was amazing how close I felt to him. It was almost like the Blood Bond… Blood Bond? Did that have to do with who Chris was? Perhaps it did. "I can't believe this is happening. I failed to protect my kids."

"You didn't fail them. Voldemort tricked you."

"I should have seen it."

"That past is gone."

"Not for you. You still have a chance to change things."

"And that's exactly what I'm going to do. I came back to change things. I'm going to make sure that you get your children back," Chris said.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Prue, why am I getting a distinct vibe from you?" Phoebe asked Prue.

"What do you mean?" Prue responded.

"You have something that you want to tell us."

"Now's really not the time."

"We're just waiting. I personally hate stewing in this situation. Nicolas is with that horrible man. The Golden Dawn isn't ready yet. I'd be grateful to have something to get my mind off this."

"Well, you know how Katana said that I would find the answers in that library?"

"Yes."

"I did. Now we have the final connection. I was going to wait until this is all over, but I have to tell you."

"What is it?" I was hurting, of course, but I wanted to know what we had to do.

"This is kind of complicated." She waved her wand. A map appeared.

"The Worldly Connections?" I said, reading the title.

"Yes," Prue said. "This is the answer."

We stared it, not understanding her point. "What does it mean?"

"This," she said, pointing to one of the many doors on it, "is our world. These are all the other worlds. Now, in our world, Morrigan has contacted us, as has Chris."

"So?"

"In these worlds," she motioned to the doors to the right of ours, "Chris never came back. That makes a huge difference. In some of the worlds, Paige was killed. In the others, she never existed. Those are the worlds that are based on the Power of Three or the Power of Two."

"They all have some sort of power?" Phoebe said.

"Yes. That's because every single world has a great power of evil. They all need a great power of good to keep the balance."

"Okay," I said. "I'm following you so far."

"Well, in all those worlds, Morrigan wouldn't have come, right?" Prue said.

"Right."

"There's more to that. These worlds," she motioned the doors on the left, "never had Morrigan. She never existed. Other forces stepped in to do what she did, but they weren't as powerful as her. Do you see it?"

"No," Phoebe said. "Not yet."

"In the worlds where she existed, Morrigan made the same promise," Prue said.

"But why?" I wondered aloud. "If the Power of Four would never come in other worlds, she would change her promise."

"She couldn't."

"Why not?"

"Why do think Morrigan had so much power?" Prue said.

"The Elders chose to bestow it on her?" Phoebe tried.

"No. She had a direct connection with all her counterparts. That gave her incredible power. That kind of power could only go to the best of the best, the most powerful. In all the worlds, she could only promise it to us."

"Whoa. Heavy stuff," Paige said.

"Yeah. But do you see the problem?"

"I think so," I slowly said. "Morrigan doesn't have any influence on our counterparts."

"Therefore, they can't do what we can," Prue said.

"I'm lost," Phoebe said.

"Well, guess who exists in all the worlds?"

"Voldemort."

"In one shape or another," Prue said. "He may be the Source or some other evil, but he's in all of them. He's marked in the same way in all the worlds."

"But we're not the ones who have to kill Voldemort," Paige said.

"Not in this world," Prue said. "In others, we are. And even in this world, we have to help Harry. He may be the only one who can kill Voldemort, but we are the ones who give him the tools. There is one weapon that can kill Voldemort. It's a sword much like the sword in the stone. I believe you know whose sword it is."

"Morrigan's?" I said.

"Indeed. Only by using her power can we bring that sword back into being."

"So he's only going to be defeated in this world?" I asked.

"That's the challenge," Prue said. "We have to use all of Morrigan's power to set off a chain reaction that will kill all the other Voldemorts."

Phoebe's mouth dropped open. "We're talking about almost a hundred Voldemorts."

"That's what makes it a real challenge."

"I can't believe this," Phoebe said, shaking her head. "First we have to master the power. Then we have to make sure that every single Voldemort is killed?"

"That's the gist of it," Prue confirmed.

"No," I said. "How can we do that? We still have to get the kids back."

"Why did we have to find all this out?" Paige said. "Ignorance is bliss."

"That would lead to our downfall. Think about it," Prue said. "The worlds have an influence on each other. There is a delicate balance between all of them. Not killing him would destroy that balance. And if that balance is destroyed, that's it. We don't exist. Everything, I mean _everything_, goes away."

"We have to do this or the entire universe will be destroyed," Phoebe said.

"Yeah."

"Oh hell no," I said. "This is ridiculous. We're powerful, but that is too much. We have the universe on our shoulders. The four of us have to prevent the end of every life throughout the universe. We can't do that."

"We have to."

"Please tell me that there isn't a time limit," Paige said.

"Umm…"

"Don't you dare say that there is."

Prue picked at her cuticles, avoiding eye contact. "I did the math, and it would appear that there is an unofficial time limit."

"WHAT?" we all yelled.

"How long is it?" Phoebe demanded. "Why is it there?"

"It exists because there's a point at which all the Voldemorts will take over their respective worlds. That will take place by the end of the year."

"Prue, it's July," I said. "We have to master Morrigan's power in six months?"

"Less than that."

"It took us nearly a year to master our own powers," Phoebe said. "How can we get over our emotions in that short time?"

"Uh… there's another part to that."

"What is it?" I asked, exasperated.

"To do this, we have to reach the opposite emotions," Prue explained.

"And what would those emotions be?"

"Piper, you have to reach happiness with who you are. Paige, you have to learn to love yourself. Phoebe, you have to have faith in yourself. I have to reach patience with myself."

"That doesn't sound too hard."

"We can easily tap into loneliness, anger, grief, and frustration. They're the first things that come to us. We're looking at the exact opposites. That means that we're going to have quite a lot of difficulty achieving them," Paige pointed out.

"I hate life."

* * *

"Three days," I muttered furiously. "We've been waiting for three days."

"Piper, it took you three months to do this in my past," Chris said.

"I don't care. I want to go there now. I can call upon Morrigan."

"He could hurt them instead of you."

He had a point. "I'll wait, but only for so long."

"I know that this is hard for you."

"You're damn right it's hard," I sharply said. "I have no idea what he's doing to them."

"I do. Right now he's trying to see if he can steal their powers. Later he'll decide to just turn them evil. You have time."

"I have three months to get my children back and six months to make sure that the world doesn't end. Just great."

"What are you talking about?"

I explained the situation. "Why didn't that happen in your past?"

"I must have changed the path this world was on," Chris said. "We jumped from one world path to another."

"I see. This stuff is really screwed up."

"Tell me about it," Phoebe said as she appeared.

"Any luck?" I asked hopefully.

"No, I couldn't sense them anywhere. Apparently the bonds of motherhood aren't as strong as I had hoped. I just want him back."

"I know," I said. "I want them back too."

Suddenly, Prue came racing down the stairs. She looked overjoyed. This was not like Prue at all. She was usually so calm and composed. "Piper, Phoebe, I need you both to come with me," she said breathlessly.

"Why?" I asked, confused by this burst of energy.

"I need you to freeze time for us," Prue said. "Chris, I need you to take us to your childhood home."

"What does that—"

"Don't ask questions. I'll explain when we get there."

He orbed us there.

"Stay quiet," Prue whispered and dragged us into the bushes.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"We're trying to see which of my two theories is correct. Either we'll see Chris's parents abandoning him or we'll…" She smirked. "Well, you'll see."

We waited a few minutes.

"Prue, what is this all about?" Phoebe asked. "We should be trying to get to the kids, not crouching in a bush."

"Shh!" Suddenly, a baby orbed into the yard. "Piper, freeze time before they hear him."

I flicked my fingers.

"Prue, is that…" Her eyes filled with tears and she ran to the child. "My Nicolas!"

"Okay, what just happened?" I questioned.

"Orb us home, Chris," Prue said, ignoring me. "I just figured everything out."

"What?"

"Just go."

He orbed us home and we turned on Prue. "Are you going to explain this?" Chris questioned.

"Yes. Chris, your parents are Phoebe and Sirius."

He stared at her for a few moments before he laughed. "Wha—no, no. That's impossible. I think I would know if my parents were Phoebe and Sirius."

"But it makes perfect sense," Prue said. "You just watched it. Nicolas—you—orbed there. You were found by the Perry couple and they raised you as Chris Perry. But you're Nicolas Anthony Halliwell."

"Prue, that's crazy," Phoebe interjected. "Chris can't be Nick."

"Chris is your son. Do you really think that two half whitelighters orbed into the exact same yard on the exact same night? That would be impossible."

Phoebe gaped at Prue. "Oh my God." She turned to Chris. She was looking at her son. I could see the realization in her eyes. "Sirius," she said, barely above a whisper.

He orbed in. "Oh my God, you got Nick." He took the baby.

Phoebe was still staring at Chris. Chris just looked lost. "Sirius, Chris is our son."

"What?"

Phoebe walked up to Chris and embraced him. "Our son. My Nicolas." Chris remained limp in her arms. He still had that look on his face.

This was an amazing moment, but I still couldn't help but feel quite jealous. Phoebe had her son back. I was still missing my children, and I couldn't be sure that I would get them back in time. Voldemort had already altered his plans. What if he sped things up? What if…

My thoughts were completely stopped as Grams orbed in. I could tell that we were in trouble. She just had that look. "I see you've got Nick back."

"Try to contain yourself, Grams," Phoebe said, pulling away from Chris. "I'd like to introduce you to your great-grandson. Chris is Nick."

"That's nice."

"You're certainly handling this well."

"I have something else to discuss with you," Grams said.

"Are you sure you aren't going to be yelling at us?"

"There's always a possibility."

"What is it?" I asked.

"The Golden Dawn."


	18. Family Issues

**Phoebe **

We had to cover ourselves quickly. "The Golden Dawn? Demon, creature, or spell?"

"Don't play stupid, Phoebe. You know very well what I'm talking about." Grams crossed her arms. "The Golden Dawn is incredibly dangerous. They will only trick you."

It looked like we were caught. "Grams, calm down. We're only asking them to help us find Voldemort."

"And they're not having much luck, are they?"

"It's a difficult process," I said.

"They're stalling in order to get to you," Grams said. "They're going to take advantage of you."

"That can't be. I would have sensed something," I said.

"You can't be that certain of your powers."

"Yes, I can. I have to."

"I'm glad that you're so confident, but you're wrong," Grams told me. "I want you to sever all ties with the Golden Dawn. Use a spell if you have to. Just make sure that they can't get to you."

"We've gone this far, and we know that they're good," Piper said. "They help the resistance in the future. Chris?"

"Yes, Chris, how did you get the Golden Dawn on your side?" Grams asked him.

"I'm not the one who got them to support us," Chris said.

"Who did, then?"

"Sirius. We all met with Katana, and she had Sirius go through one of her tests."

"To see how strong he was, I'd assume," Grams said. "As I recall, MacGregor Mathers founded the Golden Dawn saying 'it is better to be the hand of the devil than to be in his path'. It was an idea that he passed onto his son, Bartholomew Mathers. He believed that power was greater than the idea of good and evil."

"But Bartholomew's son rejected the idea and taught his daughter to be good," Chris argued.

"Yes, he did," Grams said. "I have no doubt that Katana is a pure soul. She is trustworthy."

"So why are questioning the Golden Dawn?" I asked.

"For your own good. Many of Katana's followers are more loyal to MacGregor than to her. They still believe what he believed. They didn't come to Katana, nor did she seek them out. They came to MacGregor. Chris, the fact that you are my great-grandson would explain why the Golden Dawn chose to help you. You are almost as powerful as Wyatt. With the added bonus of Harry, the Golden Dawn would have been quite enticed. Katana's followers helped you because you had power, not because they're good."

I was so tired of this. I didn't want to fight with Grams. I just wanted spend some time with my son, and I wanted to get my niece and nephew back. The Elders had to back off. Otherwise, they would have a really pissed off Power of Four to deal with.

"You're absolutely right, Grams," Prue said.

I turned to her, incredulous. "What?"

"She is," Prue said. "The Golden Dawn is only interested in power. They'll lean towards the side with the most power."

"Voldemort," Grams supplied. "He now has Wyatt and a being with the ability to turn time. There's nothing he can't do. He is the most appealing one at the moment."

"Oh, I beg to differ." Prue was smiling secretively. What was she hiding? "Honestly, don't you see it?"

"The only thing I see is a large amount of arrogance," Grams said.

"Perhaps," Prue conceded. "Regardless, we are the ones with the most power."

"What makes you say that?"

"Many, many years ago, a great source of power existed in the form of Morrigan. Now she has come to us. We have the Power of Four, Morrigan, Harry, and Nick twice over. We are the most powerful."

"You fail to realize that the Golden Dawn only sees the Power of Four and Harry. Nick is still only a baby. We can't do anything with his powers. They don't know about Morrigan or Chris."

"Katana knows about Morrigan," I said.

Grams looked horrified. "Then all is lost."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked.

"You've lost your advantage over Voldemort."

"It's not like he could do anything about Morrigan," Prue pointed out. "He can't harm us while we're in her form."

"But he can delay the inevitable. He thought that he had the upper hand. There was a chance that he could get sloppy. Now he knows about Morrigan."

"How would he find out?" Piper inquired.

"Do you really think that the Golden Dawn wouldn't test Voldemort with that information?" Grams said.

"Why would they?"

"In order to make sure that you're not bluffing."

"Katana wouldn't tell," Chris said. "And she probably doesn't know about their ability to take on Morrigan's form. She only knows about Morrigan."

"Plus we would have seen the repercussions," I put in.

"We'll show them Morrigan's form," I said. "If they're not impressed, Paige can erase their memories. Paige!"

Paige appeared. "You found Nick?"

I went on, ignoring her. "Prue will be able to tell if they're going to do something. You've got to have confidence in our powers. We have to do a lot, and we need all the support we can get."

"You just have to get to Voldemort," Grams said.

"We have to do a lot more," Prue said. "Don't ask. We'll discuss it later."

"Right now, though, we have to prove ourselves to the Golden Dawn before they betray us," Piper said. "We'd better take on Morrigan's form."

"Hello? Clueless sister here," Paige said.

"Chris is Nick," Prue said. "We have to go to the Golden Dawn. Take on Morrigan's form."

"What?" Paige exclaimed.

"Later. Now change."

I was feeling faith in myself, but that was tainted by other emotions. I would have to use anger.

Grams stared at us, then sighed. "Be careful. The world needs you."

"Yeah, and not just our world either," I muttered.

"What does that mean?"

"Later."

I closed my eyes and thought of Voldemort. Anger rose up inside of me and I took on Morrigan's form. When I opened my eyes, my sisters were all in her form. "We shall return with what we seek." We disappeared, but not by orbing or disapparating. It was something quite distinct. It was familiar, for Morrigan had touched my spirit with same power I was using.

We appeared in Katana's office. She entered the room quickly.

"Who are you?" Katana demanded.

"We are the Charmed Ones," Piper said.

"I see. You're being influenced by the spirit of Morrigan."

"She has blessed us with her form," I said. "She has given us great power."

"You don't need to prove your strength to me. However, you do have to prove it to my followers."

"That's easily done." We held up our hands. Katana's followers appeared.

Katana smirked. She knew what we wanted. "Attack them."

They did. All their attacks, though, just bounced off of us. They stopped, awestruck.

"You have proven yourself," Katana said. "Return to your true forms."

We let go of our emotions. But I could feel that Piper couldn't let go.

"You see that the Charmed Ones are far more powerful than we thought. I believe that they deserve our backing," Katana announced.

I turned to Piper. She was trapped in Morrigan's form. "Piper, you have to let go of your grief," I whispered to her.

"I cannot until my children have returned."

"You have to," I said. "There's still hope."

"We are going to help you. We are now bound to your task," Katana said to us.

There was a ripple of discontent at this comment. "Mathers, how are we bound to these four?"

"I have given my word," Katana said. "You took an oath to follow me, and so you are bound to me. I bind myself to them. Simple transference, you see. Do you trust me?"

"Of course we do, Mathers."

"Then you will do this for me."

"Piper, you can't deny yourself," I said.

"I do not deny myself," Piper said. "I am simply one with Morrigan."

"But you're not Morrigan. Think of your love for your children."

"I can't."

"Are you saying that you can't remember how much you love your kids?"

"No…"

"You have to overcome your grief so that you can save them."

"We will contact you as soon as we find him," Katana said. "It won't be long."

Piper transformed and we orbed back home.

"I can't do this," Piper said. She was in tears. "It's too much."

"Piper," Remus said, taking her hand. She buried her face in his chest, crying heavily.

_We have to get them back. _

* * *

I held Nick close to me. I was so happy to have him back. I loved him so much. "Voldemort is never going to get you back." A wave of excitement burst through me. It was coming from Piper.

Paige opened the door. "Phoebe, they—"

"They found him?"

She nodded. "It's time."

I placed Nick in his crib. "Are we all ready to go?"

"Yes. We have all the potions we might need and we're all set to go into Morrigan mode."

"Good." I followed her downstairs. "Sirius, keep a close eye on Nick."

"I will," Sirius said. "Just go and get Melinda and Wyatt."

I kissed him, then went back to my sisters. "Are we going to meet with Katana?"

"Yes," Prue said. "She's going to use her shaman powers to get us there."

I looked to Piper. "You ready for this, Piper?"

"I've been waiting for this." Paige orbed us.

When we arrived, we were in a circular room. A four-pointed figure was painted on the floor. Katana was waiting for us.

"You should go into your greater form," she said in her smooth voice. "And your invisibility, Piper, would likely be useful."

"We're not going to use Morrigan unless we have to," I said. "We don't want him to know about her."

"Yes. Voldemort tends to get too confident sometimes. Now position yourselves on the points." Katana closed her eyes and held out her hands. "Concentrate on your goal."

A rumbling of energy passed through us.

"I wish you good luck, Great Four."

The room disappeared. A blink later, we were in another place. I could feel the evil and the hatred in the air. We were in the right place. We cautiously walked towards the source of the evil vibrations.

"Wormtail, I tire of your ramblings. Can it be done?" Voldemort asked Wormtail sharply.

"M-master, if you will it, it can b-be done," Wormtail stuttered. "H-however, it could take longer than we first expected. They can't reach their powers, but if we try to take them away, they might be able to break through the spells. The boy is quite strong."

"Of course he's strong," Voldemort said. "He controls the sword. We can't take their powers directly. We'll just have to try it another way. That damned mortality, though, complicates things."

"If they are a threat, why can't we just kill them?"

"We can't kill Wyatt. If we do, the sword will go straight to Piper and she will be pulled into the lake for all eternity. We can't let that happen. We must either take Wyatt's powers so that I may have the sword or we must turn him evil. If we turn him evil, I will have to raise him. I can't take the chance of letting the Charmed Ones turn him back." He paused. "There may be a spell that can help with that. We'll only turn to that if we are forced to."

"Yes, master."

"Now bring the children to me. I want to see if they have made any progress."

Wormtail disappeared into another room. He returned with Wyatt and Melinda. We had to hold Piper back. We couldn't give ourselves away. We needed to get Voldemort away from them so that he couldn't try to hurt them. He would do anything to make sure that we didn't get them back.

"Ah, they are still resisting," Voldemort murmured.

"H-how are they able to resist?" Wormtail questioned. "They don't have their powers. Why can't you come near them?"

"The fact that their mother is Piper Halliwell is why. She is a Charmed One. She is the Lady of the Lake. She has incredible powers. But that won't protect them forever, especially if I turn them evil. Then we won't have any problems with Potter. Wyatt will protect me. Melinda will be able to turn time for me. I will be able to do anything once I have control over them." He laughed coldly.

Now was the time. Piper stripped away the invisibility.

"There has been a slight change in plans," she said.

"You!" He tried to fire a spell at us, but Prue knocked him down and his wand flew out of his hand. Wormtail set a spell at us, but we jumped out of the way and Prue claimed his wand. They were helpless and ours for the taking.

"I've been waiting to add you to my list," I said and tackled Wormtail.

"Phoebe, please."

"God, don't beg, Peter," I said. "It makes you even more pathetic than you already are."

"You will pay for what you did, Voldemort." Paige said. She and Prue had him pinned to the wall.

"I'm not going to kill you, Wormtail," I said. "Don't get me wrong. I'd love to get revenge for what you did to Lily and James, but I'm better than you. I'll only kill you if you force me to. _You have been touched by evil, you have chosen your path, wait in your prison, wait to feel good's wrath._" He was yanked away to Azkaban. I stood up. Piper was holding Wyatt and Melinda.

"Let's get out of here," she said.

"No!" Voldemort yelled.

"You have no power, Voldemort," I said.

"Bosk!"

A demon appeared. I picked out the right potion and threw it at the demon, vanquishing it.

"We will be back," I promised Voldemort.

"You think you've won? I will triumph!"

We disappeared home.

"What a blowhard," I said and rolled my eyes. "Hey, little man." I took Nick.

"How did it go?" Sirius asked anxiously.

"Just look," I said and motioned towards Remus and Piper. They were fussing over Melinda and Wyatt. It was adorable. "What happened to the bigger version of our son, anyways? We find out he's our son and he disappears."

"He's trying to tie up some loose ends," Sirius said. "I still can't believe that Chris is ours."

"I know. He does look a lot like you, though. I should have seen it before."

"Well now we know."

Chris orbed in.

"Chris, hi," I said. "Where have you been, hon?"

I could tell that he was a little uncomfortable around me. "I was just trying to find out what demons are in Voldemort's fold. I'm going to go work on some potions."

"You've been working all week," Sirius said. "Why don't you take a break?"

"I can't." He stopped. "Do you sense that? Something's coming."

"Or maybe it's already here," I said, feeling the evil come closer. I really didn't want to deal with another demon. Nick blinked and a crash sounded behind us. We turned and saw that a demon had indeed appeared. Nick had apparently used his telekinesis. Piper finished the demon off easily.

"Looks like Wyatt isn't the only one with a lot of power," Piper commented.

"Phoebe—" Chris started.

"Phoebe?" I said. "How about 'mom'?"

"Well, I should go work on those potions."

He orbed away before I could get in another word. "I just don't understand him."

"It is a lot to take in," Sirius said. "He just found out that we're his parents. Give him time."

"Yeah, but Paige found out her parentage quickly and she adjusted fairly well in a short time."

"It took her some time too. Don't push him. You might just end up pushing him away."

"You're really starting to sound like a whitelighter."

"I'm talking as a father," he said.

"At least this time we'll be able to raise him. That's the thing, though."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, shouldn't Chris's memories be changing or something?" I said. "His history has changed completely."

"Maybe a few other things need to change."

"That doesn't sound at all encouraging."

"Calm," Sirius said. "You can do this."

"I hope so."

* * *

**Paige **

"I can talk to him," I told Phoebe.

"No, that'll just complicate things. Sirius is right. I should just let him come to me. Still, it's kind of hard. He's my son, but I didn't raise him. I'm like a stranger to him." She sighed. "I just never expected this. I mean, I thought that Chris was Chris. Nick was Nick. Now they're the same, and it's almost paradoxical."

"What are you talking about?" I wasn't following her at all.

"I don't know," Phoebe said, frustrated.

"Neither do I. Just relax. You're never going to achieve faith in yourself if you keep doubting your abilities as a mother."

"I guess."

"Phoebe, you got Nick back."

"Only after Prue figured everything out," Phoebe pointed out. "I couldn't even see that Chris is my son."

"Who would have expected it?"

"Prue did. The clues were all there. Remember when that warlock attacked?"

"Yeah. He got you and Chris," I said.

"No, he only got Nick. He stabbed Nick, and whatever happens to Nick happens to Chris. I should have noticed that."

"You were kind of in the middle of being killed."

"Well, he said that his mother was empathic."

"You're not the only empath in the world."

"There aren't many witches who are married to their whitelighters," Phoebe argued.

"Not even Chris knew. Quit beating yourself up over this. The past is gone. You have to move on."

"I can't as long as I don't have a relationship with Chris."

"It'll come eventually," I said.

"I don't like the sound of eventually."

"That's all you have right now."

She again sighed. "You're right. What are we going to do today?"

"Work on potions, train Harry on using a sword, and we'll probably squeeze in some meditation."

"Sounds like fun. When do we start?"

"As soon as we can pry Piper away from the kids."

"It sucks that we have to drop our lives again," she said.

"Unfortunately, the entire wizarding world has to prepare for this," I said. "We have certain duties."

"Yeah, I know the drill." The house shook suddenly. "What was that?" A giant eye appeared in the window. It was very… dragon like. "What now?" We opened the door. A dragon was indeed sitting on our front lawn. It growled a little, then lowered its head.

"I think it wants us to climb up," I said.

"No. Absolutely not. I am not riding a dragon. We have to much to—whoa!"

The dragon, not pleased with our hesitance, had used its tail to slide us up onto its back. We clung to it desperately as it took off.

"I hate the magical world!" Phoebe screamed as we sailed up into the air. "We're going to be spotted!"

"No, there's a spell on the dragon… and us, I guess. We're okay," I called over the roar of the wind.

"You call this okay?"

"We're alive, aren't we?"

"Who knows how long that's going to last!"

The dragon began its descent.

"Do you know where we are?" Phoebe asked, glancing around.

"No."

"Too wonderful!"

We landed and the dragon slid us off.

"I see Nekane did as I instructed her."

I recognized that voice. "Katana?"

"Yes," Katana said.

"What the hell?" Phoebe burst out.

"I needed to talk to you."

"Did you ever think of calling us or owling us?" I asked.

"It's impossible to find this place," Katana replied.

"I see. Exactly why are we here?" Phoebe asked.

"The final battle is coming."

"Is that it? You dragged us here on a dragon just to say that?"

"No. I actually needed to show you this place so that you could come back here later. You can only find this place if you have been shown it."

"And why is this place so special?" Phoebe questioned.

"Because it is a place that is completely free of negative energy," Katana explained. "It is the purest place in existence. It is ideal for your mediations. Though you are very powerful and quite confident, you need all the help you can get."

"Thanks for the encouragement."

"I speak only the truth, Phoebe," Katana said. "Here, perhaps, you will find a way to reach your son."

Phoebe let a small smile sneak through. "You're a really good shaman, you know."

"Thank you."

"Can we orb here now that we know where it is?" I asked.

"Yes. Come here as soon as possible."

"We will. Are we able to orb out of this place?"

"Of course."

"Okay then. If you don't mind, we have a lot of work to do."

She grabbed my arm. "Paige, this is the only way. You're getting very close. You're closer than the others. You don't have anything to hold you back. Then again, that can be a hindering thing in your life. It is, isn't it? Well, once this is over, you can work on that. For now, embrace it. Use it to reach your goal."

"Thanks for the advice. We're going to go now, okay?"

Katana nodded and we orbed home.

"If one demon pops up, I am going to rip off its head," Phoebe growled.

"A little stressed?" I asked.

"I'm almost to the breaking point here. Dragons, demons, Voldemort… I wish that this could be simplified."

"Deep breath."

She took a deep breath.

"Are you calm?"

"No."

"That's too bad. We'll have time to relax later. I know you hate waiting for that mythical someday, but it'll come."

She groaned and covered her ears. "Don't say the m-word!"

"I'll try. That stuff tends to force itself on us."

"I'm going to ignore all that supernatural stuff for today."

"That's pretty hard to do when you consider what we're doing."

"Shh! I'm only doing this stuff because I want to."

"But—"

"Leave me in my perfect little world for now." She closed her eyes.

"You ready to face this?" I asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

I awoke with a jerk. "What happened? Where am I?"

My sisters were all suppressing laughs. "You fell asleep."

"In the middle of training?"

"It's not surprising," Prue said. "We have been on a really strange sleep schedule lately."

I stretched. "Where did the boys go?"

"We're taking a break," Phoebe said.

"Oh. How could you let me fall asleep? Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked so sweet that we decided to let you sleep," Piper said.

"Do I detect a bit of patronization?"

"More than a bit."

I made a face at them.

"You are the baby of the family," Piper said.

"Hey, we have three new babies," I said.

"But you're still our little sister."

I spotted Chris. "Hold that thought." I went over to him. "Hey, stranger. I notice that you've been avoiding us—especially Phoebe."

"I haven't been avoiding you," Chris said.

"Yes, you have," I said. "I've noticed it. Phoebe and Sirius have definitely noticed it. Phoebe's feeling like a lousy mother. Sirius isn't quite sure what to do with you."

"It's just kind of weird."

"I know. Believe me, I can understand. I grew up with the knowledge that my parents weren't really my parents, but it was still hard to accept that I was a part of the Halliwell family," I said. "You know them in the future, right?"

"Yeah, but it's different," Chris said. "Sirius just didn't feel like a father. Piper was more of a mother figure to me. Phoebe was always more like a big sister."

"But Phoebe is your mother. At least stop calling her Phoebe and start referring to her as your mother."

"I will." He smiled. "I'm glad that I got to meet you… Aunt Paige."

"Now that's more like it."

* * *

"You ready, Harry?" Piper asked. She was facing him. They were both holding swords. Piper seemed to have the most experience with swords. She was the Lady of the Lake, after all.

"Ready."

The face off began. Though Voldemort wouldn't know about the sword, he would catch on quickly. We had to make sure that Harry was ready to take both the defensive and the offensive. He was a quick learner. It took Piper a while to best him.

"Good."

"I screwed up."

"You're making a lot of progress. You've only been practicing for a little while. I don't expect you to be a master swordsman. Now, here's how to fix that mistake." Piper showed him and they tried again. He did quite well. That went on for another hour or so. "You want to stop for a while?"

He shook his head. He had his father's determination; that was for sure. He was most assuredly going to defeat Voldemort.

They continued on as we watched.

"He's going to really well with Morrigan's sword," I commented to Chris. "It will be remolded just for him. Exactly how did Harry defeat Voldemort in your future?"

"He used Godric Gryffindror's sword," Chris said. "It was a difficult battle."

"Hopefully we'll be able to make it easier."

"It will be much easier," Chris said. "After Nick… I mean, I disappeared, Ph—mom got too distracted to fulfill her duties as an auror. Many of Voldemort's followers remained. Plus Morrigan wasn't around to help."

"Looks like there's no way we can lose."

"That's what I'm here to ensure."

"You're a lot like your parents, Chris. I'm glad to see that you'll grow up to be like them no matter what."

He didn't seem to know how to respond to this. However, he was saved from answering because Harry was able to best Piper.

"Fantastic!" Piper said. "We'll continue this tomorrow. Now let's go home."

I turned back to Chris. "Take some more time to take in all this, but make sure that you don't wait too long."

"I will."

* * *

"Dragon!" Piper called.

"Nekane's back?" I went down, puzzled. "I didn't expect that Katana would be sending Nekane again."

"Katana? What does she have to do with this?"

"Long story," I said. "We have to go and meditate in this garden of perfection."

"What?"

"Don't ask. Prue! Phoebe!" They came down.

"What—dragon? Wyatt didn't summon another dragon, did he?" Prue asked.

"No, this is a natural dragon," Phoebe said. "She's here to take us to the garden. Just follow me."

Phoebe and I led them to Nekane, who helped us up onto her back.

"You will explain this, right?" Piper asked as she reluctantly got onto Nekane.

"Once we get there."

Phoebe and I were a bit more comfortable with the ride. Prue and Piper were significantly frazzled.

"How are we supposed to meditate now?" Prue said. "I'm practically traumatized!"

"You're so dramatic," I said.

"You came," Katana said, stepping into the light. It was daylight in the garden, for some reason.

"We didn't exactly have a choice," Piper said. "Your pet is rather formidable."

"Nekane isn't my pet. She is a companion," Katana said.

"Technicality. Why are we here?"

"To mediate. Negative energy cannot exist in this place."

"Okay."

"Can't you feel yourself relaxing? It's because of the garden."

She was right. I could feel the garden working on me. I liked it.

"So do you think you're ready to take on the power?"

The confidence was growing inside of me. "Of course. After this one meditation, I guarantee that we'll master the power." We went to the center of the garden and grasped each other's hands.

"Find your strength," Katana said.

_I am one with myself. I love myself and I am worthy of love. I don't need anyone else to complete me. I am complete._

A small burst of worry flared up within me. I quickly put it out.

_We will achieve our goal. We will it so. I will myself to reach Morrigan. I reach out to her power. I will do this. We will do this._

I breathed in deeply. An interesting sensation came over me.

_We have the Power of Four. We have what we need to reach Morrigan. She is within us. She is a part of us._

"_For it was in the past, it is now, and it always will be. You have reached your core; you have reached me. We are one, and it is done."_

I opened my eyes. Morrigan was standing in the middle of our circle. _"The truth has come at last. Now go, and do what you must do."_

She disappeared in a flash of light.

"I think we've mastered the power," I said.

"Yeah."

We all gasped as the power began to fill us. My sisters' eyes changed color. Perfect love began to pulse through me. I could accept everything about myself. I could make a difference in the world. There wasn't a task in the world that we couldn't do. I was sure of it. Our bodies began to glow with golden light. Our hair became long and black. The power was ours. It was so beautiful.

We flashed into her form for a minute or two. Then it faded away. The phoenix song arose and filled us even more. It was amazing. A few minutes later, the song ended.

"You have mastered the power, Charmed Ones," Katana said. "Now do as Morrigan commands and use it."


	19. Morrigan's Call

**Prue**

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" I asked Sirius, thoroughly annoyed.

"And what are you doing orbing? You have to be more careful," Phoebe said.

"You shouldn't have been up there for so long," Paige put in.

My sisters and I were gathered around Sirius, looking at him accusingly. He just looked confused.

"I didn't say anything," Sirius said.

"Well, we heard you loud and clear," Phoebe said.

"Uh… exactly what are you talking about?"

"We heard your thoughts. A darklighter is taking out whitelighters," Piper said.

"What?" Sirius said. "Since when can you all read thoughts? And I still don't know what you're talking about. No one has told me anything about a darklighter."

"Oh really? Well… Um…" I trailed off, unable to think of a good case. "As for your first question, we have mastered the power. I guess that's why we suddenly have more power. As for the second question—"

"It's probably a combination of my precognitive ability and Prue's telepathy." Phoebe paused. "Jingle. Go up there, but get back here quickly."

"But—"

"Go see if we're right," Piper commanded.

He orbed out.

"That was… unusual. How else do you think Morrigan has affected our powers?" Phoebe wondered.

"I don't know, but we'll probably find out soon," Piper responded.

I knew that she was referring to the final battle. "This is going to be worse than the battle with the Titans."

"How? That was one hellish battle. Voldemort is at least mortal."

"Only to Harry," I said. "And Harry is just as mortal as Voldemort. We have invincibility while we're in Morrigan's form, but we can't do much for Harry."

"We'll give him the sword," Piper said. "Voldemort won't have a fighting chance."

"Hope—"

She gave me a look.

"—fully. I'm just saying that we should be realistic. Voldemort will be a challenge. He'll have demons and who knows what else."

"We'll have potions and the Queen," Phoebe said. "Stop being pessimistic."

"Realistic."

"Whatever."

"I wish that we could see what Voldemort is up to, though."

"I could try it. I've seen from your view using Morrigan," I told Phoebe.

"You saw through my eyes?" Phoebe said. "What did you see?"

"Not much," I replied. "I did it when you were taken by Cearbhall and once when you were in the basement, practicing."

"You mean the time when Sirius came to me?"

"Sirius? He was that presence?" I asked.

"Yes. He wanted to assure me that he was still with me. He also saved me from signing my powers over to Cearbhall, and he came to me while I was visiting his grave."

"That's… touching… I think," I said.

"Yeah, it's a little unusual, but it was still sweet."

"Anyways… I think I'll try that with Voldemort." I closed my eyes. _Show me Voldemort. _

"Whoa," Piper said. "Well, that's useful. Prue, you did it."

"What?" I opened my eyes. An image of Voldemort's lair was floating in front of us. "Nice." I studied each demon in the room. "Looks like we have some serious demons to deal with."

"We should get working on those potions." As soon as the words were out of Paige's mouth, potions appeared and the image disintegrated. "I'm really starting to like this."

"Do we need anything else?" I asked.

"Uh… Let's see. Morrigan, do we need anything more?" Phoebe called.

A book landed on the table. "Magizoology."

"Of course," Paige said. "Voldemort probably wants more defensive power. He won't have anything we can't handle, though."

Sirius reappeared.

"Well?"

"A darklighter is attacking whitelighters," he slowly said. "He's probably working for Voldemort."

"So we were right. No more orbing for you tonight," Phoebe said. "Get Wyatt and Nick. If you can find him, warn Chris. We'll summon any nearby darklighters and vanquish them."

"You certainly know how to take charge."

"Oh, and get Harry. I keep forgetting that he has whitelighter genes."

He left.

"Okay. Let's take care of that darklighter." I relaxed and allowed the power to fill me. "You know, this is starting to feel less like Morrigan and more like my regular powers."

"That's a good sign," Piper said. "It gives us more control." We summoned the darklighter. It appeared and we easily killed it.

"Can you sense any others?" I asked.

"I don't think so," Phoebe said.

"Yes," Paige interrupted. "Another is coming."

We turned around and faced another darklighter. Power pulsed through us.

"You dare to challenge us?" I said.

"We have the power," Paige said.

"Fool," Piper said.

He ignored us and raised his crossbow. We merely laughed.

"Let us see your power," Phoebe said.

An arrow tore through the air. We held out our hands. The arrow disappeared, and the darklighter was vanquished.

"Nice job," Sirius commented as he stepped back into the room with the boys.

We each fell to one knee, our heads slightly bowed. "Chosen Ones," we whispered. "Our powers serve you."

"_It is time,_" Morrigan said quietly.

"We shall protect you…" Piper began.

"But now we must wait…" I said.

"Until the final battle…" Paige said.

"Then we shall awaken," Phoebe said.

Everything went black.

* * *

"Why won't they wake?" Chris's voice asked.

"Morrigan is preparing their minds and their bodies for the final battle," Sirius said. They both sounded anxious.

"What are you talking about?" I called. "I am awake!"

"The final battle?" Chris said. "They can't stay like this until the final battle. They have lives. They have families."

"I know. But there's nothing that we can do."

"Can they hear us?"

"I can hear you just fine," I said.

"Yes, but they can't will themselves to wake," Sirius said grimly.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"Wait."

"Hello!" I looked around. I was in a domed building. It was so dark that I could barely make out the walls. I could, however, see that there were four doors carved into the walls. I went to the first door and stared at it, mesmerized. I thoughtfully stroked the smooth marble. Suddenly my fingers came across a word carved into the door. I couldn't see what it said, so I felt it out. P… R… U… D… E… N… C… E… So I was meant to be in this place, wherever it was.

"Prue?" Piper asked.

I turned. My sisters were there.

"Where are we?" Phoebe questioned. "What were Chris and Sirius talking about?"

"I'm not sure, but it looks like we're not controlling our bodies," I said.

"Why didn't Morrigan warn us about this?" Paige asked.

"I don't know. Are your names on those doors?"

"Yes," Phoebe said. "Do you think we should open them?"

I considered the doors warily. "Well, Morrigan has never led us into danger before."

"Plus we've got a long time until the final battle starts."

"So we're going in there?" Piper said.

"Yes. We'll be okay."

"I guess."

We faced the doors. I took a deep breath, then pushed open the heavy door. A bright light confronted me. I walked into it confidently and was absorbed into its infinity.

"_For the light of desire burns in you with the strength of a great fire, and all that is valued is measured in silver and gold, so may you know thyself, and so may you see more than you are told._"

A different voice then whispered in my ear, "What do you desire?"

"Nothing," I responded.

"Ah, are you truthful with yourself?"

"Yes, I am."

"Even if you do desire nothing, the 'what if'," the voice chuckled, "can always stir desire for truth. Perhaps… Perhaps you would like to see what might be."

What if…

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"Then ask."

I hesitated.

"No one will judge you."

"What if my sisters and I had never discovered our powers?"

"An interesting question. I shall show you the answer now."

I blinked and the living room appeared. As I watched, Phoebe walked in with Sirius.

"We shouldn't be here again," Phoebe said.

"He can't take this place away from you, Phoebe," Sirius said.

"Yes, he can," Phoebe bitterly said. "He will. I don't even know that I want it. This place is filled with bad memories. We lost our children here. I lost my sisters here. I can't find peace here. I can only find pain… and guilt."

"Voldemort killed them. You didn't kill them."

"The blood is still on my hands. If I could have done something—"

"You couldn't have," Sirius said. "You didn't have your wand. He made you helpless."

"He didn't have to kill them. They weren't a threat."

"They were a part of the resistance, so they were a threat."

"I should have died with them," Phoebe said.

"Phoebe," Sirius said softly and wrapped his arms around her. "I couldn't live without you."

"I know. I'm glad that you saved me, but I miss them so much. Our daughters were so young… so were Piper's sons…" Tears formed in her eyes. "And now we're back here. It's easier than running. This place is protected now, but no spell can protect me from the memories." She blinked away the tears. "What if he sends another?"

"He won't be able to find us."

"Nothing is guaranteed anymore. Voldemort has the Source on his side. No one can stop the Source."

"It's going to be okay."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just am."

I could sense what was coming next.

"No. I will not watch this," I said firmly. "I won't see them die."

"Very well," the voice said and pulled me back. "So you see just how important your powers are."

I sensed a bit of odd amusement in the voice. "Who are you?"

"I am one like Melinda."

"Which Melinda?"

"Piper's daughter. She was born from a great power."

"Are you Morrigan's daughter?" I asked.

"Yes."

"What's your name?"

"Aveline."

"But why are you here? Where's Morrigan?"

"She's completing certain tasks before the final battle," Aveline answered.

"She's preparing our bodies and minds."

"Correct."

"How long will that take?"

"A while. My mother's interference has had a great impact on your bodies. She needs to ensure your safety."

"What are we supposed to do until then?" I asked.

"Learn and practice."

"Oh. Practice what?"

"Your battle skills," Aveline said.

"And how we will accomplish that?"

"With my help." She appeared before me, armed with a sword. She looked remarkably like Morrigan.

Suddenly, I felt a sword in my hand. "What's the purpose of this?"

"He knows about the sword."

"What? How could he know?"

"He's not stupid. He knows that the First Chosen will not be able to use his wand against him. He will be prepared with his own sword… the Slytherin Prodigy. As heir to Salazar Slytherin, he is the only one who can handle that sword. And yes, each founder had a sword made. The swords of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff have been lost, but they will be found by the foretold people. There will be many battles in the future involving those swords. But that is not your concern. You will not be given those swords. For now, you must only concentrate on summoning my mother's sword. It won't be an easy task. She made it difficult to prevent the possibility that evil would find it and use it to wreak havoc on the world. But she chose you as the greatest force. Good shall win. For now, though…" She came at me.

* * *

"This is fascinating stuff." Paige was looking at a magizoology book. Morrigan had provided us with an extensive library. It was partly to train us, but it was also to ease the short transition and make the wait a little more bearable.

"What are you reading about this time?" I asked.

"Quintapeds. There is an interesting legend behind their existence. It is said that the Quintapeds at one time may have been a wizarding family by the name of MacBoon. They lived on the Island Drear, and their enemy was the family of McClivert."

"Paige," I interrupted. "That's quite interesting, but is there any chance that Voldemort will have some Quintapeds?"

"No way," Paige said. "Quintapeds have a particular taste for human blood, and the Island Drear is unplottable. He couldn't control them even with the strongest spells."

"That's one group down," Phoebe said. "Any other threats?"

"All the really dangerous creatures hate humans and are intelligent enough to be independent. It's not likely that he'll use them."

"Not likely?" Piper said.

"Impossible. He simply wouldn't be able to control them."

"So why did Morrigan have us look at Magizoology?" I inquired.

"There are some things that he could use," Paige said. "They're all pretty easy to handle, though. We are the Charmed Ones, after all."

"You're positive?"

"Absolutely."

"Mom, where are you?" Chris's voice came. "Why did you have to leave again? I was just starting to see you as a mother. Now it looks like I'm going to lose you again."

"Oh, Chris," Phoebe sighed and shook her head. "I don't want to fail you again."

"You won't fail him," Piper told her.

"I think Aunt Paige was right," Chris went on. "I can see how it would be to be raised as your son. I just hope that's how it turns out. Come back soon. We all need you."

His voice faded away.

"I'm beginning to get impatient. I want to get out of here," Phoebe said.

"I know what you mean," Piper said. "I want to go back. I kind of wish that Voldemort would start the final battle so that we could be released. I miss my kids."

Their doors started to glow, signaling that Aveline wanted to speak with them.

"We'd better go see what she wants," Piper said.

They disappeared behind the doors.

"How long do you think it's been?" Paige asked musingly.

"I don't know. There doesn't seem to be any sense of time in this realm. There are no boundaries. It's just there. We're just here."

"We're going to be here for a while."

"I know," I said.

"It's not going to be easy."

"The battle is going to be even worse. We know what to do, but we don't know what to expect from Voldemort."

"Even with Morrrigan," Paige said.

"Yes, even with her," I agreed. "But I don't think that we've seen the full extent of her powers. We won't discover what she can truly do until we go up against Voldemort."

"We'll have to use it to kill all the Voldemorts."

"Yeah. I was hoping that I could forget about that, but we have to realize that in order to do it."

"Unfortunately."

After a certain amount of time (it was impossible to feel the shift of time), Piper and Phoebe emerged.

"How'd it go? What did she want?" I asked.

"Just to help us," Piper murmured. She looked a little out of it.

"With abandonment?"

"Yes." Phoebe looked just like Piper.

Paige and I exchanged looks. Something was definitely off about them, and we couldn't be sure if it was the work of Aveline… or the work of some outside force. _Another dead end._

* * *

**Piper**

"Can you truly ever leave them?"

The words echoed in my head. It had been so long since I had slept. Some part of me, though, knew that I was sleeping. Was this all but a dream? Was any of this real?

"Yes, I can," my own reply came. "I have."

"They feel your presence still. You will return to them soon."

"When?"

"When the time is right."

_When the time is right. _It was right for me now. Aveline had done something to ease the pain, but it was still present. I had been torn away from my children far too recently. It wasn't fair that I had to experience it again. _No parent should ever have to go through this. _"I don't deserve this!" I called. The emptiness muffled the sound and kept it close to me. "I want to see them. I want to hold them. I want out! Now!" The muffled noise came again. "We hold the battle in our hands. We have to right to begin it. What if I told you that I wanted to begin now? Hmm? How would you react?"

"You are not ready yet," Aveline said.

"I don't care!"

"If you do this now, you put yourself at greater risk."

"So?" I said.

"If you want them back, you have to have patience."

"No, Prue has to have patience. I can be as impatient as I want."

"True, and I must tell you that I am proud," Aveline said.

"What?"

"You see that this is your battle. That's good. He can't claim what you already own. You know that."

"Why do you know me so well?" I questioned.

"My mother taught me."

"I want to teach my own children."

"For now, you must put aside your desires for the greater good."

I shook my head. "I've given up to much to the greater good."

"What is your other option? Evil? You are most certainly not meant for that."

"I can accept that, but I won't accept this situation. You speak of the time called now. There is no now in this place. This place is just holding me back."

"No. It is helping you to advance."

"I don't care."

"You have to care," said Aveline.

"While I'm out there, I do. I'm in a place completely separate from the real world."

"You're in your mind. Out there, there is another plane where you and your sisters may meet. Here, though, you are in your own mind."

"Then I can make anything happen."

"And you must realize that you can transfer that to the 'real' world. You four can do anything."

"I'll worry about that later, after I stop losing everything that I love," I said.

"Loss is a part of life."

"But I still deserve to receive as well."

"I enjoy this banter," Aveline said. "I haven't felt so alive since… well, since I _was_ alive."

"We Halliwell women tend to leave an impression."

"You will leave a great impression in history. Allow me to work on your spirit. Mother wishes you to keep that purity that you have worked so hard to attain."

* * *

"Do you hear that?" I asked breathlessly.

"More like feel it…"

We all looked up. There was a distinct energy in the outside realm. We could sense that the final battle was either approaching or it had come.

"Mom, you have to wake up now," Chris said. "We need you."

We waited. _Come on, Morrigan._

"_The final battle has come!_"

I took a deep breath. It felt like I was being dragged into something. My head felt rather light. I slowly opened my eyes, feeling groggy.

"They're waking up!"

"Chris?"

"Yes, it's me."

I looked down just to make sure. I was back. I was also floating in the air and I was in Morrigan mode.

"Has the final battle begun?" I asked.

He nodded. "Voldemort just started the attack. This is it."

"Do we really have to go now?" This was rather surreal. We were actually going up against Voldemort.

"Unfortunately."

Leo, Harry, Sirius, and Remus came in.

"Are we all ready?"

"Yes."

"Okay then." Prue swished her hand, taking us to Voldemort. The sight that greeted us was… impressive. We were facing a seemingly endless army of demons of varying abilities. Voldemort was missing, but he would show up soon. "Wow. I mean, this is nothing, Voldemort!" I willed any powers to work. A few rows of demons disappeared. "That's a start." I flicked my fingers. There was a huge explosion. Half of the demons were taken out. "Now that's very good."

My sisters used some newfound powers to vanquish the demons while the others pitched potions. Within a few minutes, all the demons were gone. We waited a beat, but Voldemort didn't appear.

"Do you think he's hiding?" Prue wondered.

"That would be wise," I said.

"There's no reason for me to hide," Voldemort announced as he arrived. "I have all the protection I need." He was holding a sword. The handle was shaped like a snake. It was most definitely the Slytherin Prodigy. Two snakes were following Voldemort. I recognized one as his famous pet. The other snake had three heads. It was a Runespoor. I hadn't seen one of those in quite some time.

Suddenly I felt fear—Prue's fear. Since when did she get afraid? She slowly backed away, eyes wide.

"Prue, what are you doing?" I said.

"I can't," she whispered.

"What do you mean?" Paige exclaimed. "You're Prue, superwitch! You're fearless!"

Prue flickered out of Morrigan's form. The Runespoor came closer to her. She gasped a little.

"Oh no you don't!" Phoebe called. "You're a witch! Use your telekinesis!"

She looked away and swung her arm. The snake was thrown violently into the wall. I blew it to pieces.

"Now get back into her form!"

She obeyed.

"Here we go." We all used our powers on Voldemort. Nothing happened to him.

"You cannot kill me," Voldemort said. "I possess the Prodigy."

"Yawn," Phoebe said. "We have Morrigan's sword."

"Not yet. I know that you have to call upon it."

"And that's exactly what we're going to do." I had no idea about this. There really was no procedure for it. "Uh, we call upon Morrigan's sword!" I paused expectantly. Nothing. "Okay, Plan B. Help me out here, sisters!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Paige asked.

"Use Morrigan," Prue said.

"More like _be_ Morrigan," Phoebe said.

"Perfect!" I felt the fullness of the power. Her control slipped in. "We feel Morrigan."

"We are one with her," Phoebe said.

"We are one with good," Paige said.

"This is our path," Prue said.

"This is our power," I said.

"Now is the time," Paige said.

"This is the hour," said Phoebe.

"I am the Master."

"I am the Medium."

"I am the Mother."

"And I am the Mystic. We hold Morrigan's true form within us."

"We call upon Morrigan's sword!"

The sword appeared in Harry's hand.

"Booyeah! In your face, Voldemort!" Needless to say, I was feeling quite confident.

"Now for that Prodigy…" Paige tried to summon it, but couldn't.

"He has to face me," Voldemort said triumphantly. "No one can interfere."

"Like hell."

"However, you are a nuisance, so…"

The room closed around us, cutting us off from the others.

"That's not good."

"We're out of our form again," Paige pointed out.

"And what the hell is that!" Phoebe exclaimed, pointing at a creature in the corner. It had a lion's head, a goat's body, and a dragon's tail. "Paige?"

Paige had always been the magical creatures whiz. "That's a Chimera."

Two more creatures popped up. The first one seemed to be a black leopard. The other was a large, hairy beast with five legs. We slowly backed away.

"And those?" I said.

"That would be a Nundu. And that's a… oh crap. We are really in trouble."

"What is it?" Prue asked.

"That would be the incredibly rare, incredibly dangerous Quintaped."

"Great. Do you feel that?" An oppressive force had appeared in the room.

"Yes," Paige said. "That's a Lethifold."

"Well, they can't be too hard to handle." I flicked my fingers, trying to blow them up. Nothing happened. "Why won't they blow up?"

"They're extremely magical creatures. They can evade all magical attacks. There are few spells that can stop them," Paige explained.

"So let's just use Morrigan."

"No one ever said that Morrigan was omnipotent," Phoebe pointed out.

"She can instantly vanquish demons. I doubt that she'll have trouble with a couple of surly creatures." We transformed again. The Quintaped chose to attack me. I picked it up and threw it off to the side. "Ew, it's bristly and nasty."

"Bristly? Piper, you're supposed to be fighting for your—" The Lethifold wrapped itself around Paige. She impatiently brushed it away. "This isn't a challenge at all."

"I know. They're just annoying." Phoebe ducked as the Chimera flew at her.

"Okay, this thing really needs a breath mint or something," Prue said, her nose wrinkled.

"The breath of a Nundu is so horrible that it can cause an entire village to fall ill to a disease that can kill all of them," Paige said.

"That's not too hard to believe," Prue gagged.

"Voldemort must be losing his touch," I said. "This is way too easy."

"Which means that this must be a trap," Phoebe said.

"Well, let's think," Paige said. "This is just a distraction. We're…"

"Supposed to be helping Harry to wipe out Voldemort," Phoebe finished. "Let's just terminate these things."

"That takes a lot of power," Prue said.

"Power that we have," I said.

"Power that we can build up, then use."

"But we have to leave now," Phoebe said. "We can't be in two places are once."

"Oh, can't we?" Prue said with a wicked grin.

"Maybe you can, but…" I then caught on. "Morrigan spread around our powers. Well, let's try some bilocation."

"Yes," Paige said. "It's time for some Voldicide."

Prue winced. "Must you butcher the English language?"

"Hey, we're concentrating on fighting, not on proper grammar. Let's go."

A very strange sensation overcame my body. I suddenly had double awareness. I was in the room fighting with the Quintaped, but I was also with Harry, giving him strength.

"This is really weird," Phoebe said. "How are we supposed to summon all this power while we're doing two things?"

"I have no idea," I said. "Let's get rid of the monsters first."

"The power isn't ready yet," Prue said.

"Grr. Hurry up hurry up hurry up!" Paige said impatiently, apparently to herself.

Harry was doing exceptionally well. Voldemort looked a little worried.

"You can do it, Harry!" I called. At the same time, I kicked the Quintaped off its feet, making it even more pissed. "These things have some temper."

"Do you think you could try to untransfigure it?"

"Paige, I am not even going to dignify that with an answer," I said.

A cool wind hit us. "Is that it?"

"Only one way to find out."

We tried to terminate them. They fell to the ground, dead. "Okay, time to put ourselves back together."

The bilocation was undone. "Glad that's over," I said.

Harry was winning, and Voldemort knew it. We could see it in his eyes.

"Your end is coming!" we called.

_CLANK_. The Slytherin Prodigy fell to the ground. We sent it away. Voldemort was helpless. If he tried to use his wand, Harry would just use a spell. We had trained him well. He knew exactly what to do. We just had to wait for the exact moment, which was quickly approaching.

Harry lunged.

"NOW!" We took hold of each other's hands and concentrated. We saw every picture of evil in every world. We brought them forth into the light of good and justice. It pained them greatly, but they did not die. We concentrated harder. _We bring justice. Reap what you have sown. Good is overcoming you. You are nothing. _The blade connected with Voldemort. _You are dead. _We threw our hands into the air, an awesome force surging through us.

"THIS IS OUR POWER!" our voices boomed.

Voldemort couldn't believe that this was happening. He held on for a moment, then slipped away. All the other evils of the world were vanquished. We had won at last.


	20. Tomorrow Never Knows

**Phoebe **

The ground suddenly began to shake. It cracked open and white light burst from it. I could see faces within the light. They were souls. I knew that they had been trapped by Voldemort. I didn't know _how_ I knew that; I just knew it. It was so beautiful.

"_They are finally free._"

Ah, it was Morrigan. The light faded away. It was over.

* * *

"You defeated him?" Dumbledore asked. I could tell that he was surprised that we had not alerted him before we had gone after Voldemort.

"Harry defeated him. He won't be coming back this time. His body is gone forever, and his soul, if he had one, is trapped now," I responded. It had been a few hours since the battle. I was still half expecting that some demon would pop up at any moment. The dark world, however, was likely in chaos. The dark beingshad been greatly weakened. It would take them a while to get organized again, and when they did, I expected full retaliation.

"With his death, the souls that he had imprisoned were released. All those killed by his hand are now free," Piper said.

"He imprisoned them?"

"Yes," Prue said. "We don't know if it was intentional or not. He may have used a spell, but the odds are just as likely that he held them there using his unnatural life. He stole back a life that he did not deserve, and that forged a connection with those that he killed. Whether it was intentional or not, though, isn't the issue. All that matters is that he's gone."

"It never could have been done without you," Dumbledore said.

"No, it never could have been done without Harry," I said. "He's the real hero behind all this."

"Ah, but all paths lead back to you," Dumbledore said. "If you hadn't given him his gifts, he likely would have been unable to defeat Voldemort. You should be proud of yourselves. You have done a great deed. We all owe you our deepest gratitude."

Paige shrugged. "Eh, next week there's probably going to be another leader of evil. It's the cycle of darkness. We'll be able to handle it."

"Tonight, though, there is no reason to worry about that. As soon as the word gets out, there will be great celebrations. Unlike last time, this isn't a bittersweet occasion."

"I'm glad that it's over," Piper said. "We have some questions for you, though."

"Of course. I'll answer them as best I can."

"Well, you seem to know quite a lot about Morrigan," Piper started.

"True."

"So you would probably know what's going to happen next. Her promise didn't say anything about a particular evil. We were wondering if that means that we'll keep Morrigan's power."

"I believe that it would," he responded. "Morrigan gave her power to you in order to ensure the futures of all the other worlds. You were meant to destroy the evils in the worlds, but her power isn't restricted to that. You were given a great destiny. You are the Charmed Ones, and you will fight for the rest of your lives. Morrigan will make things easier. Because of her, you will receive the lives that you've always dreamed of. It seems that your future is quite free."

"That sounds good," Piper said.

"What else would you like to know?"

"Will Morrigan affect our children?" I questioned.

"She will be present with them, but her powers won't influence them. Wyatt, Melinda, and Nicolas will have a future much like yours. They will fight for good, but their destinies aren't as heavy as yours. That is because of Melinda Warren's promise."

"Ah. Morrigan won't have us go through any other weird things, right?" Paige asked.

"If you're referring to the time she took to prepare you, the answer is no," Dumbledore replied. "She has returned to her proper place. Her work here is done. I do believe, however, that you will have further contact with the leader of the Golden Dawn."

"Katana? Why would we have further contact with her?" She had done us a favor, and we grateful, but we weren't all that eager to deal with the Golden Dawn again. We would much rather prefer to settle into a calmer life. She wouldn't exactly bring calm to our lives.

"It's a guess, really."

"But what would make you think that?" Prue asked cautiously.

"I'll just say that I have certain resources."

He had that patented twinkle in his eye. It was unnerving in this situation. "Future resources?" Piper asked.

"I may see a godmother in your future," he continued.

"Godmother? Okay… We'll talk to Chris tomorrow," I said. "Right now, we should alert Fudge. He'll want to know all about the final battle."

"The whole world will."

* * *

"The Boy Who Lived and the Charmed Ones have rid the wizarding world of a great evil. Looks like they love us again," Prue said as she looked at the newspaper.

"It's fun being popular, isn't it?" I was in a very good mood. From where I was standing, the future was looking very bright.

"Even the tabloids love us," Paige said.

"How did we end up with more of those?"

"I was curious about what they would have to say about the final battle. Mind you, they did get many details wrong…"

"They couldn't get the story from us." They had tried, though.

"And they're not clear on who Morrigan is," Paige said. "Apparently they think that she was Dumbledore's wife."

"Okay, now that's just weird," I said.

"Not any weirder than Katana being Wyatt and Melinda's godmother," Piper said.

"Yeah, I didn't expect that at all. I wonder what brings us to that stage," Prue said.

"I guess we'll see," Piper said.

"Or we'll get Chris to tell us." I smiled.

"He's still pretty tight lipped about the future," commented Paige.

"I don't think it would really make a difference," I said. "Everything has changed so much. I think that he could afford to tell a few things."

"But you can't force him to."

"Even though I _am _his mother."

"Yes, even though you are his mother," Paige said. "That's still so strange. I never saw him as a nephew until I started to think about it."

"Do think he's going to go back to the future soon?" My heart ached at the thought of losing him. I was actually stating to get a mother-son bond with him. I didn't want to lose him.

"His work is kind of done here," Prue said. "He saved Wyatt. We can't find any potential for evil in him thanks to Chris. That's why he came back. I don't think he'll be able to stay much longer."

"Well… Maybe something else still has to happen," I said.

"What makes you say that?" Piper asked.

"He's directly affected by changes in the past," I explained. "It makes sense that his memories would change. Maybe he would remember his past, but I think he would still have some new knowledge of this new path."

"We can't be sure of that," said Prue.

"I know," I said, "but I can't help but think that there's something else that has be done. It seems like there's one little detail that still needs to be adjusted."

"You're going to have figure that out. I'm through with all that stuff. I've figured out enough things."

"Yes, I have you to thank for finding out who Chris is."

"It's what big sisters do."

"You really are superwitch, Prue," I said.

"Superwitch?" she repeated.

"Yeah. You're fearless," I said.

"I'm not fearless. Did you see me with the snakes?" She shuddered. "I hate snakes."

"You're practically fearless," I amended. "You can take any demon, any day. You can handle any job that's thrown at you. If you were on Survivor, you would definitely win."

"While I earned the scorn of the others."

"Scorn?" Paige said. "How could anyone have scorn for you, dear sister?"

"I have a tendency to take charge," Prue said.

"Someone has to," said Piper.

"And I sometimes step on other people's toes," she continued.

"Hey, you get the job done," I said.

"So the end justifies the means?" Prue asked.

"Usually. I don't think we'd survive very long without you, Prue. You're the glue that holds this family together. If you weren't here, we'd probably go our separate ways and neglect our powers."

"I feel so responsible and important."

"You are. You're the head witch."

"I get a lot of titles. Superwitch… head witch… I like it."

"Then I hereby dub thee superwitch," I declared.

"It has a nice ring, I must admit. Though you do place me on a very high pedestal."

"Nah. It's not like you're infallible," Piper said. "You're hard to live up to as a big sister, but I know that you have your own little oddities."

"And what they be?" Prue asked.

"You're a complete control freak," I said.

"True."

"But you know how to control yourself, so you're completely free to control the world."

"That's next on my to do list."

"It feels good to be able to relax," Paige sighed. "We don't have the threat of the Titans or the Source or Voldemort. We can actually take some to time to be almost normal."

"Yes, and I think we'll be able glide byon thefew blissful weeks that are free of demons," I said.

"Yeah, the Underworld must be pretty traumatized," Prue said. "I doubt that they'll be able to summon up another strong leader. We keep wiping them out. It's definitely easier than it was back when we were just getting started."

"We made it more difficult ourselves," Piper admitted.

"That stuff was mostly done by me," I said.

"No, we all did some crazy stuff at the beginning," Prue said.

"I cannot recall any time when you used spells for personal benefit," I said.

She grinned. "There were a few occasions."

"When?"

"Back when I was just starting in the Ministry," Prue said. "I was significantly overwhelmed, and I kind of used a spell or two to get a pick up."

"Wow," Paige said. "I never even suspected that perfect Prue would ever need a pick up."

"I hid it well."

"I'll say." Life was starting to get some semblance of normality. We were starting to recover from the whole ordeal. It was looking like life was going to get easier now. I had only one thought on that: _It's about damn time!_

* * *

I scooped up Nick and balanced him on my hip. "It's evening out in the Ministry. Everyone in my department thought that we would have to clean up a big mess of magic, but things fell into place nicely."

"Yeah. Morrigan likes to keep things neat. The Department of Mysteries decided to add Morrigan's quest to the files," Piper said.

"I assume that you did the filing."

"They thought I was the best one for the job."

"I had no troubles at all," Paige said.

"You work with muggles," I said. "No muggles saw the things that went down."

"But we did have to take care of the Riddle house," Paige said. "The muggles stayed mostly away, but there were some curious ones."

"My department is always crazy," Prue said. "Accidental magic is undoubtedly the most dangerous form of magic."

"Can't argue with you there."

"It is time," Grams stated as she walked in.

"Time for what?" I asked.

"It's time for me to go," she responded.

"What? Why do you have to go now?" Prue asked.

"Voldemort is gone. There's no reason for me to stay any longer."

"Oh, Grams. I'm going to miss you," I said.

"Take care of Nick," Grams said. "He's going to turn out to be a great man."

"Did you talk with Chris?" I was quite surprised.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did."

"But I thought you hated guys."

"He's my great-grandson," Grams said.

I smiled. "So you took a liking to him?"

"So to speak. I think that all your children will turn out quite well."

"Wow. This is new a side of you that I didn't know about," Piper said.

"I can't love my great-grandchildren?"

I smiled and hugged her. "Who's going to take over your job?"

"I'm not sure, but it might just be Katana."

"Who recommended her?" Prue asked.

"I did."

"I didn't expect that."

She smiled a little. "I'll keep watching over you. Patty and I will both be there."

"Do you really have to go now?" Paige asked.

"Yes. That was only a temporary life. I must return."

"Well, we love you."

"I know. I love you too, girls." She looked up, then vanished.

"I hate it when we have to say goodbye," I said.

"So do I, but she's always just a spell away," Piper said.

"Wait," Paige said. "We've been neglecting our duties as legal guardians."

"Say what?" Piper said.

"Oh, we should have done this right after we got home," Paige muttered.

"Should have done what?" Prue pressed.

"We need to call upon Lily and James, of course," Paige said.

"Yeah, that was really obvious," I said. "But now that you mention it, we really need to do that. It's been so long since we saw them, and Harry really should meet his parents."

"Were they trapped by Voldemort?" Prue wondered.

"Yes. That must be why I couldn't contact them," I said.

"Phoebe, you tried that without telling us?" Piper said.

"Like you didn't," I scoffed.

"Well… yes, I did. What about you two?"

"Yeah," Prue admitted.

"I thought I wasn't allowed to see them."

"So did I," Piper said. "But now it'll work."

"I can't believe it," I said. "We'll get to see them again. Harry will finally be able to meet them."

"But that won't happen unless we summon them," Prue said.

"Right. Let's do this." I put Nick down we got out the Book.

We said the spell and two forms started to appear. Red hair… Green eyes… It was Lily. Black hair… hazel eyes… James. For a moment, I was rendered speechless. It had been so long.

"Phoebe… Paige… Piper… Prue… How did we get here?" James asked.

"We used a spell," I said numbly. "This is amazing. We kept trying to contact you, but Voldemort had you trapped."

"How long has it been?" Lily asked.

"Sixteen years," Piper said.

"So Harry…"

"Yes, he's doing well," Prue said. "I'll call for him."

"How could he sense you?" James asked.

"Umm… Well, he can orb," Paige said. "That's actually our fault. It's a long story, but he'll explain. Harry!"

He orbed in. "What's up?" He stopped when he saw them. I saw the astonished recognition blossom in his eyes. This was a moment that I would never forget.

"Harry, we summoned your parents," I said. "You three have a lot to discuss. We'll leave you to talk."

We gathered the kids and left the room. "He finally gets to meet his parents. It's so wonderful." I had tears in my eyes. "What Voldemort did was awful."

"His counterparts would have continued his work in their own worlds," Prue said. "I'm glad that we didn't fail."

"Yes, now we can finally have the life you've always wanted, Piper," Paige said.

"What life?"

"A life without demons," Paige said. "Evil has been greatly weakened. We won't have to fight demons all the time."

"We'll be free to raise our kids," Piper murmured.

"We definitely deserve it."

* * *

**Paige **

"I still can't believe that you had a kid, Phoebe," Lily commented.

"You should have seen her pregnant," Sirius said.

Phoebe looked offended. "I wasn't that bad."

"She threw things at me."

"I threw one picture," Phoebe said. "_Something_ had to happen to you."

"Well, I'm glad that you both came to your senses eventually," James said.

"We went through a lot to get there, though."

"Sirius's death… Piper's marriage to Leo…" Phoebe said.

"Piper, you married Leo?" Lily said.

"Yeah," Piper answered. "Wyatt is Leo's. Then the Titans broke out, we became goddesses, and Leo became an Elder."

"But in between all that, Chris appeared," Prue said. "Chris is from the future."

"He's Nick in the future, actually," Phoebe clarified. "He didn't know that because in his past, he ended up being raised by some muggles. Prue fixed everything, though."

"Okay…"

"It's another long and convoluted story," I said. "We have many of those." It was great to be talking with Lily and James again.

"Such as the Blood Bond?" Lily said.

"Well, that turned out to be very useful. I have a feeling that Morrigan led us to do that spell. Now that I think of it, actually, it seems that Morrigan was the one who led us to make that power binding potion," Piper said thoughtfully.

"When did we do that?" I asked.

"Back at Hogwarts." Piper smirked. "It was the day that the green sea creatures showed up."

"Green sea creatures, huh?" Lily eyed the boys.

"Prue and I tried to punish them by not helping, but somebody—I won't mention who—took off the effects." Piper not so casually pointed at me.

"Hey, that was a long time ago," I said.

"I just wish that she had made it a little clearer. Then we could have taken Peter's powers away. We could have avoided this situation completely," Phoebe said. "It's just not fair."

"Pheebs, we're dead," James said. "There's nothing that can be done now."

"I know, but it's still not fair. You should be able to be with your son. Can't they grant you life like they did with Grams?"

"That was a different situation," Lily said.

"Could you two become whitelighters?" Remus asked.

"They can't let all people become whitelighters," Lily said.

"They let Sirius become a whitelighter," Phoebe pointed out. "That says something."

"Hey!"

"Oh, you know I love you, hon."

"You'll be able to summon us any time," James said.

"Yeah, but it's still different," I said.

"Then let's enjoy this," Lily said. "Exactly who is Morrigan?"

"She was an ancient queen," I said. "She had four forms, and she had a ton of power. She promised her power to the Great Four. She started giving us her power so that we could defeat Voldemort and kill all the Voldemorts in the other worlds. We had to master her power so that we could call upon her sword, and we had to do that before the end of the year or all the worlds would have been thrown into chaos and darkness. Prue discovered all that with the help of Katana, who is the leader of the Golden Dawn."

"The Golden Dawn is basically the wizard mafia," Prue said. "Chris introduced us to Katana because we apparently gain very strong bonds with Katana. Piper is apparently going to name her as godmother to Wyatt and Melinda. We're not quite sure why we get so close to her, but it seems that we will."

"She's going to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher because Grams recommended her," Piper said. "Grams actually didn't trust her at all before, but she had a complete attitude change. That might be relevant, but then again it might not."

"And if you're following all that, I'd be truly amazed," Phoebe said.

"I'm just going to pretend that I understood all that," James said.

"That's what we do."

"What else did we miss?" Lily questioned. "And exactly what did you mean when you said that you became goddesses?"

"Oh, _that_," Piper muttered. "Well, the Greek Titans were released from their prison, and they started their path of destruction. Paige got turned to stone, but Chris saved Phoebe. Paige eventually got freed, and Leo gave us the power of the gods. I became the Goddess of Earth, Paige was the Goddess of War, Phoebe was the Goddess of Love, and Prue was the Goddess of the Hunt. Leo did so well that he was able to become an Elder. I trapped the Titans using my anger over that, and then I lost my emotions. That was followed by a loss of my memories. Paige's spell."

"All in all, the last couple of years have been very eventful," Prue said. "I don't want to know what it would have been like if the magical world had been thrown in with that mess. That would have made an interesting what if for Aveline. Don't ask."

"What was it like in Voldemort's prison?" Phoebe asked. "Did you have any idea about what was going on?"

"No, we didn't. It was true nothingness," Lily said. "We couldn't feel the passage of time. It was hell. The only thing that made it bearable was the fact that we had each other." She squeezed James's hand.

"Aww," I said. "And Harry couldn't see you two even liking each other."

"What?"

"Paige!" Prue hissed.

"Oops. I wasn't exactly supposed to tell you that. But yeah. He saw into Snape's memories. Let's just say that it wasn't exactly your finest moment, James. It was during the time when Lily would have preferred to have kissed a Runespoor than you."

"The fifth year?" James said.

"Yes. We fixed that."

"You're definitely better than Petunia at raising Harry," Lily said.

"I still wish that his parents could raise him," Phoebe said.

"I wish we could too, but we can't," James said. "It would be great if we could spend more time here, but this is our destiny."

"You were meant to die like that?"

"Yes."

"Then why did I have that vision?" She looked to us.

"It was probably just a preparation," Prue said. "We know that that happens sometimes."

They looked up. "We have to go now."

"Now? But you have to stay longer," Piper said. "Can't you ask for more time?"

Lily shook her head. "No, we have to go back."

We said our tearful goodbyes and Harry took a few extra moments with his parents. It wasn't fair that they couldn't stay with him. But life wasn't fair. We would see them again, but now we had to let them go. _For now,_ I thought and wiped away a tear. _But we'll see them soon. _

* * *

I hummed, a smile plastered on my face.

My sisters stared at me. I tried to ignore that. "Paige, you are starting to freak us out," Piper said.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're so… perky. I thought you were the cynic."

"I was only a cynic because I was having some bad luck with love."

"And has that changed?" Prue said.

"You could say that," I said.

"You're finally back on the love scene?" Phoebe asked.

"Yes, I am. I meet a great guy."

"Tell us all about him."

"Well, his name is Lorenzo Alcazar," I told them. "He came from Port Charles. He's kind of dark and mysterious. He came here because his ex-girlfriend went back to her husband. He's a muggle, and he's tough on the outside, sweet on the inside."

"How long have you known him?" Phoebe asked.

"A little while."

"And you didn't tell us? I'm shocked."

"I just wanted to make sure that I had a firmrelationship with him before I went around telling everyone."

Phoebe considered me. "We'll let you go this time, but no more secrets after this. We have to meet him. Does he know about magic?"

"Yes, he does."

"Good," Phoebe said. "Not telling can lead to a lot of trouble."

"But in your case, it helped."

"My case was unusual."

"The unusual is usually the norm for us."

"I can't disagree with you there. I'm glad to see you happy, Paige."

A series of blue and gold orbs lit up the room.

"What is that?" I asked.

"I don't know. Chris?" Phoebe said.

The orbs collected together and formed Chris.

"Chris?" Phoebe said. "What was that all about?"

"Did you call me Chris?" Chris said.

"Yes, that is the name that you're used to," she said.

"As I recall, you're the one who named me, mom."

"But I thought you weren't used to being called Nick," Phoebe said.

"That's what you've called me my entire life," said Chris. He was looking at Phoebe like she was crazy.

Realization dawned on us. "It's really you, isn't it?" I said.

"Yeah."

Phoebe hugged him, crying. "I think everything has been fixed now."

"Wyatt isn't going to become evil?" Piper said.

"Wyatt evil?" Chris—rather, Nick said. "That's ridiculous, Aunt Piper."

"You were the last factor, Paige," Prue said.

"I was?"

"Your attitude had to change. Now it has."

"Now this is what I call closure."

* * *

"Life is absolutely perfect," I declared.

"Aren't you afraid of jinxing it?" Piper asked.

"Not at all. Everything has been wrapped up in a nice, neat package. I could really get used to this, and I think I shall."

"I hear you, sister," Phoebe said. "We've figured everything out and we've neatened up all the messes. I think we deserve the reward of a calm life."

"That's a definite relief."

"I still kind of wonder about the founders' swords, though," Phoebe said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I did some research on that and—"

I swiftly interrupted her, trying to prevent certain disaster. "No, Prue! You are not getting into that. You'll end up dragging us on another wild goose chase."

"Aveline said that we're not going to be involved with that," Piper added.

"So we are not going to be dragged into it," Phoebe said. "We've gone through way too many trials and tribulations."

"This is over, finished, end of story," I said.

"Okay, okay," Prue said. "I didn't think that you guys would attack me just for doing a little research."

"We've been through too much over the years. We're not interested in any other quirks."

"Don't you even want to know that names of the swords?" Prue questioned.

"We already know about the Slytherin Prodigy and Godric's sword," I said. "That's enough for us."

"Well, the real name of Godric's sword is the Gryffindor Pride. The other swords are—"

"We don't want to hear it," Piper interrupted.

"The Hufflepuff Hope—"

"Not listening!" I sang.

"And—"

"We don't care!" Phoebe said.

"The Ravenclaw Fortitude," she finished.

"Are you satisfied now?" I asked.

"Yes. For now…"

"That's not funny," Phoebe said. "And you do realize that you're probably going to lead us right into a situation involving the swords, don't you?"

"Mentioning them will not call them to us."

"You said it yourself, Prue," I said. "Words have a lot of power."

"Especially in this family," Piper said.

"So choose your words carefully," said Phoebe.

"Or we'll duct tape your mouth shut!" I said.

"Oo, harsh."

"Ha!" Phoebe said. "Hardly."

"We could do a lot worse," I said.

She suddenly laughed.

"What?"

"You three are doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"The thing where you keep each other's sentences going," Prue said.

I nodded at Phoebe and Piper.

"Hey, what are you doing?" She started back away. "Don't you dare. I'll hex you!"

"Tickle time!"

"Gah!"

**A/N: thanks to all those who reviewed this story. Geminia, Ms. Marvel, Damia, Magical Princess, animalzoo, potts, Tabitha78, foxxy-chicca 911, you are wonderful.**


End file.
